,transcriber's note3     ,in the        
original book1 each right-hand page had 
its own header4    ,in this e-book1 each
 chapter's headers have been collected  
into    an introductory paragraph       
immediately following that chapter's    
introductory poem4  7,the left-hand     
pages' header was the    chapter's      
title47      ,,john ,,the ,,baptist  by 
,f4 ,b4 ,,meyer1 ,b4,a4  ,author of     
,paul3 ,a ,servant of ,jesus ,christ    
,the ,prophet of ,hope ,saved and ,kept 
etc41 etc        ,london3 ,morgan and   
,scott ,office of ,the ,christian #ab1  
,paternoster ,buildings1 ,e4,c4 ,and may
 be ,ordered of any ,bookseller #aiaa   
,by ,rev4 ,f4 ,b4 ,,meyer1 ,b4,a4       
,,the ,,biographical ,,series4          
,,abraham3 ,or1 ,the ,obedience of      
,faith4   ,,israel3 ,a ,prince with     
,god4   ,,joseph3                       
,beloved--,hated--,exalted4   ,,moses3  
,the ,servant of ,god4   ,,joshua3 ,and 
the ,land of ,promise4   ,,david3       
,shepherd1 ,psalmist1 ,king4   ,,elijah3

 ,and the ,secret of his ,power4        
,,jeremiah3 ,priest and ,prophet4       
,,john ,,the ,,baptist4   ,,paul3 ,a    
,servant of ,jesus ,christ4             
,preface4  ,the life and character of   
,john the ,baptist have always had a    
great fascination for me2 and ,i am     
thankful to have been permitted to write
 this book4  ,but ,i am more thankful   
for the hours of absorbing interest     
spent in the study of his portraiture as
 given in the ,gospels4  ,i know of     
nothing that makes so pleasant a respite
 from the pressure of life's fret and   
strain1 as to bathe mind and spirit in  
the translucent waters of ,scripture    
biography4  ,as the clasp between the   
,old ,testament and the ,new--the close 
of the one and the beginning of the     
other2 as among the greatest of those   
born of women2 as the porter who opened 
the door to the ,true ,shepherd2 as the 
fearless rebuker of royal and shameless 
sin--the ,baptist must ever compel the  
homage and admiration of mankind4  ,in  

many respects1 such a life cannot be    
repeated4  ,but the spirit of humility  
and courage2 of devotion to ,god1 and   
uncompromising loyalty to truth1 which  
was so conspicuous in him1 may animate  
us4  ,we1 also1 may be filled with the  
spirit and power of ,elijah1 as he was2 
and may point1 with lip and life1 to the
 ,saviour of the world1 crying1 ,behold 
the ,lamb of ,god4     ,contents        
,i4  ,,the ,,interest ,,of ,,his        
,,biography    ,,ii4  ,,the ,,house ,,of
 ,,zacharias   ,,iii4  ,,his ,,schools  
,,and ,,schoolmasters    ,,iv4  ,,the   
,,prophet ,,of ,,the ,,highest     ,v4  
,,the ,,first ,,ministry ,,of ,,the     
,,baptist    ,,vi4  ,,baptism ,,unto    
,,repentance   ,,vii4  ,,the            
,,manifestation ,,of ,,the ,,messiah    
,,viii4  ,,not ,,that ,,light1 ,,but ,a 
,,witness    ,,ix4  ,,he ,,must         
,,increase1 ,,but ,i ,,must ,,decrease  
,x4  ,,the ,,king',s ,,courts    ,,xi4  
,,art ,,thou ,,he8   ,,xii4  ,,none     
,,greater ,,than ,,john ,,the ,,baptist1

 ,,yet444  ,,xiii4  ,a ,,burning ,,and  
,,shining ,,light   ,,xiv4  ,,set ,,at  
,,liberty    ,,xv4  ,,the ,,grave ,,of  
,,john1 ,,and ,,another ,,grave   ,,xvi4
  ,,yet ,,speaking  ,,xvii4  ,,the      
,,spirit ,,and ,,power ,,of ,,elias     
,,john ,,the ,,baptist4   ,i4  ,the     
,interest of his ,biography4    ,john1  
than which man a sadder or a greater    
,not till this day has been of woman    
born2   ,john1 like some iron peak by   
the ,creator     ,fired with the red    
glow of the rushing morn4    ,this1 when
 the sun shall rise and overcome it1    
,stands in his shining1 desolate and    
bare2   ,yet not the less the inexorable
 summit     ,flamed him his signal to   
the happier air4             ,f4 ,w4 ,h4
 ,,myers4   ,john and                   
,jesus--,contemporary                   
,history--,anticipation of the ,advent4 
,the morning star1 shining amid the     
brightening glow of dawn1 is the fittest
 emblem that ,nature can supply of the  
herald who proclaimed the rising of the 

,sun of ,righteousness--answering across
 the gulf of three hundred years to his 
brother prophet1 ,malachi1 who had      
foretold that ,sunrise and the healing  
in ,his wings4  ,every sign attests the 
unique and singular glory of the        
,baptist4  ,not that his career was     
signalized by the blaze of prodigy and  
wonder1 like the multiplication of the  
widow's meal or the descent of the fire 
of heaven to consume the altar and the  
wood2 for it is expressly said that     
,john did no miracle4  ,not that he owed
 anything to the adventitious           
circumstances of wealth and rank2 for he
 was not a place-loving courtier1       
clothed in soft raiment or found in     
kings' courts4  ,not that he was a      
master of a superb eloquence like that  
of ,isaiah or ,ezekiel2 for he was      
content to be only a cry--short1        
thrilling1 piercing through the         
darkness1 ringing over the desert       
plains4  ,yet1 his ,master said of him  
that among them that are born of women  

there hath not risen a greater than     
,john the ,baptist2 and in six brief    
months1 as one has noticed1 the young   
prophet of the wilderness had become the
 centre to which all the land went      
forth4  ,we see ,pharisees and          
,sadducees1 soldiers and publicans1     
enthralled by his ministry2 the         
,sanhedrim forced to investigate his    
claims2 the petty potentates of         
,palestine caused to tremble on their   
thrones2 while he has left a name and an
 influence that will never cease out of 
the world4  ,but there is a further     
feature which arrests us in the life and
 ministry of the ,baptist4  ,he was     
ordained to be the clasp of two         
covenants4  ,in him ,judaism reached its
 highest embodiment1 and the ,old       
,testament found its noblest exponent4  
,it is significant1 therefore1 that     
through his lips the law and the        
prophets should announce their          
transitional purpose1 and that he who   
caught up the torch of ,hebrew prophecy 

with a grasp and spirit unrivalled by   
any before him1 should have it in his   
power and in his heart to say3 ,the     
object of all prophecy1 the purpose of  
the ,mosaic law1 the end of all         
sacrifices1 the desire of all nations1  
is at hand4  ,and forthwith turning to  
the ,true ,shepherd1 who stood at the   
door waiting to be admitted1 to ,him the
 porter opened1 bowing low as ,he       
passed1 and crying3 ,this is ,he of whom
 ,moses in the law and the prophets did 
write1 ,jesus of ,nazareth1 who was for 
to come4  ,few studies can bring out to 
clearer demonstration the superlative   
glory of ,christ than a thoughtful      
consideration of the story of the       
forerunner4  ,they were born at the same
 time2 were surrounded from their birth 
by similar circumstances2 drank in from 
their earliest days the same patriotic  
aspirations1 the same sacred traditions1
 the same glowing hopes4  ,but the      
parallel soon stops4  ,john the ,baptist
 is certainly a grand embodiment of the 

noblest characteristics of the ,jewish  
people4  ,we see in him a conspicuous   
example of what could be developed out  
of eight hundred years of ,divine       
revelation and discipline4  ,but ,jesus 
is the ,son of ,man3 there is a width1 a
 breadth1 a universality about ,him     
which cannot be accounted for save on   
the hypothesis which ,john himself      
declared1 that ,he who cometh from above
 is above all4  ,in each case1 life was 
strenuous and short--an epoch being     
inaugurated1 in the one case in about   
six months1 in the other some three     
years4  ,in each case1 at first1 there  
was abounding enthusiasm1 bursting forth
 around their persons as they announced 
the ,kingdom of ,god1 like the flowers  
which carpet their own fair land after  
the rains2 but side by side the         
unconcealed hatred of the religious     
world of their time4  ,in each case1 the
 brief sunny hours of service were soon 
succeeded by the rolling up of the      
thunderous clouds1 and these by the     

murderous tempest of deadly hatred1 even
 unto death3 ,their dead bodies lay in  
the street of the great city1 which     
spiritually is called ,sodom and ,egypt4
  ,in each case1 there was a little     
handful of detached disciples1 who      
bitterly mourned their master's death1  
and took up the desecrated corpse to lay
 it in the tomb2 whilst they that dwelt 
in the earth rejoiced and made merry1   
and sent gifts to one another1 because  
they had been tormented by their words  
7,rev4 xi4 #aj74  ,but there the        
parallel ends4  ,the life purpose of the
 one culminated in his death2 with the  
other1 it only began4  ,in the case of  
,john1 death was a martyrdom1 which     
shines brilliantly amid the murky       
darkness of his time2 in the case of    
,jesus1 death was a sacrifice which put 
away the sin of the world4  ,for ,john  
there was no immediate resurrection1    
save that which all good men have of    
their words and influence2 but his      
,master saw no corruption--it was not   

possible for ,him to be holden by       
it--and in his resurrection ,he         
commenced to wield his wide and mighty  
supremacy over human hearts and wills4  
,when the axe of ,herod's executioner   
had done its deadly work in the dungeons
 of ,machaerus1 the bond which knit the 
disciples of ,john was severed also1 and
 they were absorbed in the followers of 
,christ2 but when the ,roman soldiers   
thought their work was done1 and the cry
 ,it is finished6 had escaped the       
parched lips of the dying ,lord1 his    
disciples held together in the upper    
room1 and continued there for more than 
forty days1 until the descent of the    
,holy ,spirit formed them into the      
strongest organization that this world  
has ever beheld4  ,john's influence on  
the world has diminished as men have    
receded further from his age2 but ,jesus
 is ,king of the ages4  ,he creates1 ,he
 fashions1 ,he leads them forth2 ,he is 
with us always1 to the end of the age4  
,we have not to go back through the     

centuries to find ,him in the cradle or 
in ,mary's arms1 in the fishing-boat or 
on the mountain1 on the cross or in the 
grave2 ,he is here beside us1 with us1  
in us1 all the days4  ,john1 then1 was a
 burning and shining torch1 lifted for a
 moment aloft in the murky air2 but     
,jesus was ,,that ,,light4  ,as the     
star-light1 which fails to illumine the 
page of your book or the dial-plate of  
your watch1 is to the sunlight1 as the  
courier is to the sovereign1 as the     
streamlet is to the ocean--such was     
,john as compared with ,him whose       
shoe-latchet he felt himself unworthy to
 stoop down and unloose4  ,greatest born
 of women he might be2 sent from ,god he
 was3 but ,one came after him who bore  
upon his front the designation of his   
,divine origin and mission1 behind whom 
the gates of the past closed as when a  
king has passed through1 and at whose   
girdle hang the keys of the doors and   
gates of the ,ages4  ,to read the calm  
idyllic pages of the ,gospels1 apart    

from some knowledge of contemporary     
history1 is to miss one of their deepest
 lessons--that such piety and           
beneficence were set in the midst of a  
most tumultuous and perilous age4       
,those times were by no means favourable
 to the cultivation of the deepest life4
  ,the flock of ,god had long left the  
green pastures and still waters of      
outward peace1 and were passing through 
the valley of death-shadow1 every step  
of the path being infested by the       
enemies of their peace4  ,the wolf1     
indeed1 was coming4  ,the national life 
was already being rent by those throes  
of agony which betokened the passing    
away of an age1 and reached their climax
 in the ,fall of ,jerusalem1 of which   
,jesus said there had been nothing1 and 
would be nothing1 like it in the history
 of the world4  ,herod was on the       
throne--crafty1 cruel1 sensual1         
imperious1 and magnificent4  ,the       
gorgeous ,temple which bore his name was
 the scene of priestly service and      

sacramental rites4  ,the great national 
feasts of the ,passover1 of             
,tabernacles1 and of ,pentecost1 were   
celebrated with solemn pomp1 and        
attracted vast crowds from all the      
world4  ,in every part of the land      
synagogues were maintained with         
punctilious care1 and crowds of scribes 
were perpetually engaged in a           
microscopic study of the law1 and in the
 instruction of the people4  ,in        
revenue1 and popular attention1 and     
apparent devoutness1 that period had not
 been excelled in the most palmy days of
 ,solomon or ,hezekiah4  ,but beneath   
this decorous surface the rankest1      
foulest1 most desperate corruption      
throve4  ,to the aged couple in the     
hill-country of ,judaea1 as to ,mary and
 ,joseph at ,nazareth1 must have come   
tidings of the murder of ,aristobulus1  
of the cruel death of ,mariamne and her 
sons1 and of the aged ,hyrcanus4 ,they  
must have groaned beneath the grinding  
oppression by which ,herod extorted from

 the poorer classes the immense revenues
 which he squandered on his palaces and 
fortresses and on the creation of new   
cities4  ,that he was introducing       
everywhere ,gentile customs and games2  
that he had dared to place the ,roman   
eagle on the main entrance of the       
,temple2 that he had pillaged ,david's  
tomb2 that he had set aside the great   
council of their nation1 and blinded the
 saintly ,jochanan2 that the religious  
leaders1 men like ,caiaphas and ,annas1 
were quite willing to wink at the crimes
 of the secular power1 so long as their 
prestige and emoluments were secured2   
that the national independence for which
 ,judas and his brothers had striven1   
during the ,maccabean wars1 was fast    
being laid at the feet of ,rome1 which  
was only too willing to take advantage  
of the chaos which followed immediately 
upon ,herod's hideous death--such       
tidings must have come1 in successive   
shocks of anguish1 to those true hearts 
who were waiting for the redemption of  

,israel1 with all the more eagerness as 
it seemed so long delayed1 so urgently  
needed4  ,still1 they made their yearly 
journeys to ,jerusalem1 and participated
 in the great convocations1 which1 in   
outward splendour1 eclipsed memories of 
the past2 but they realized that the    
glory had departed1 and that the mere   
husk of externalism could not long      
resist the incoming tides of militarism1
 of the love of display1 and the        
corrupting taint of the worst aspects of
 ,roman civilization4  ,when the feasts 
were over1 these pious hearts turned    
back to their homes among the hills1    
tearing themselves from the last glimpse
 of the beautiful city1 with the cry1 ,o
 ,jerusalem1 ,jerusalem6  ,the darkest  
hour precedes the dawn1 and it was just 
at this point that ,old ,testament      
predictions must have been so eagerly   
scanned by those that watched and       
waited4  ,that the ,messiah was nigh1   
they could not doubt4  ,the term of     
years foretold by ,daniel had nearly    

expired4  ,the sceptre had departed from
 ,judah1 and the lawgiver from between  
his feet4  ,even the ,gentile world was 
penetrated with the expectation of a    
,king4  ,sybils in their ancient        
writings1 hermits in their secret cells1
 ,magi studying the dazzling glories of 
the eastern heavens1 had come to the    
conclusion that ,he was at hand who     
would bring again the ,golden ,age4     
,and so those loyal and loving souls    
that often spake together1 while the    
,lord hearkened and heard1 must have    
felt that as the advent of the ,lord    
whom they sought was nigh1 that of his  
messenger must be nearer still4  ,they  
started at every footfall4  ,they       
listened for every voice4 ,they scanned 
the expression of every face4  ,behold1 
he shall come1 rang in their hearts like
 a peal of silver bells4  ,at any moment
 might a voice be heard crying1 ,cast   
up1 cast up the highway2 gather out the 
stones2 lift up an ensign for the       
peoples4  ,say ye to the daughter of    

,sion1 ,behold1 thy salvation cometh4   
,those anticipations were realized in   
the birth of ,john the ,baptist4        
,,ii4  ,the ,house of ,zacharias4       
7,,luke ,i47      ,there are in this    
loud stunning tide       ,of human care 
and crime1     ,with whom the melodies  
abide       ,of the everlasting chime2  
,who carry music in their heart         
,through dusky lane and wrangling mart  
,plying their daily task with busier    
feet1   ,because their secret souls a   
holy strain repeat4             ,,keble4
   ,early ,history of the               
,baptist--,god's ,hidden ,ones--,the    
,hill ,country of ,judea--,a ,childless 
,home--,the ,forerunner ,announced4     
,to the evangelist ,luke we are indebted
 for details of those antecedent        
circumstances that ushered ,john the    
,baptist into the world4  ,he tells us  
that he had traced the course of all    
things accurately from the first4  ,and 
in those final words1 from the first1 he
 suggests that he had deliberately      

sought to examine into those striking   
events from which1 as from a            
wide-spreading root1 the great growth of
 ,christianity had originated4  ,who of 
us has not sometimes followed the roots 
of some newly-discovered plant deep into
 the black mould1 intent on pursuing    
them to their furthest extremity1 and   
extricating them from the clinging earth
 without injuring one delicate radicle8 
,so this good physician1 accustomed by  
his training to accurate research and   
experiment1 went back to scenes and     
events anterior to any which his brother
 ,evangelists recorded4  ,he compensated
 for the authority of an eye-witness by 
the thoroughness and care of his        
investigation4  ,what were the sources  
from which the third ,evangelist drew   
his information8  ,we cannot be sure1   
but may hazard a suggestion1 which is   
supported by the archaic simplicity1 the
 indescribable grace1 the almost idyllic
 beauty of his two opening chapters4    
,critics have repeatedly drawn attention

 to their unique character1 and insisted
 that they are due to some other hand   
than that which has given us the rest of
 the story of the ,son of ,man4  ,and   
why should we not attribute them to the 
,mother herself8  ,it has been truly    
said that mothers are the natural       
historians of their children's early    
days--never tired of observing them1    
they never tire of recounting their     
prodigies2 and1 in an especial manner1  
,mary had kept all things1 pondering in 
her heart those wonderful circumstances 
which had left so indelible an          
impression on her life4  ,she who1 in   
her over-welling joy1 uttered the       
,magnificat1 was surely capable1 even   
judging from a literary and human       
standpoint1 of the language in which the
 story is told2 and the facts themselves
 would only stand out the clearer in her
 closing years1 as many another memory  
faded from her mind4  ,the granite      
remains when the floods have swept away 
the light soil that filled the          

interstices of the rocks4  ,it were a   
theme worthy of a great artist to       
depict6  ,mary's face1 furrowed by deep 
lines of anguish1 yet glowing with      
sacred fire and holy memory4  ,luke1    
sitting at his manuscript1 now letting  
her tell her story without interruption1
 and again interpolating an inquiry1 the
 words growing on the page2 while1      
nearer than each to either1 making no   
tremor in the hot summer air as ,he     
comes1 casting no shadow in the         
brilliant eastern light--,he of whom    
they speak and write steals in to stand 
beside them1 bringing all things to     
their remembrance by the ,holy ,spirit's
 agency1 even as ,he had told them4     
,the story of ,john the ,baptist was so 
clearly part of that of ,jesus1 that    
,mary could hardly recall the one       
without the other4  ,and1 besides1      
,elisabeth1 as the angel said1 was her  
kinswoman--perhaps her cousin--to whom  
she naturally turned in the hour of her 
maidenly astonishment and rapture4      

,though much younger1 ,mary was united  
to her relative by a close and tender   
tie1 and it was only natural that what  
had happened to ,elisabeth should have  
impressed her almost as deeply as her   
own memorable experiences4  ,so it is   
possible that from the lips of the      
mother of our ,lord we obtain these     
details of the ,house of ,zacharias4    
,i4  ,,the ,,quiet ,,in ,,the           
,,land4--,god has always had his hidden 
ones2 and1 while the world has been rent
 by faction and war1 ravaged by fire and
 sword1 and drenched with the blood of  
her sons1 these have heard his call to  
enter their chamber1 and shut themselves
 in until the storm had spent its fury4 
,it was so during the days of ,ahab1    
when the eye of omniscience beheld at   
least seven thousand who had not bowed  
the knee to ,baal4  ,it was so in the   
awful days of the ,civil ,war1 when     
,puritan and ,royalist faced each other 
at ,naseby and ,marston ,moor1 and the  
land seemed swept in a blinding storm4  

,groups of ardent souls gathered to     
spend their time in worship and acts of 
mercy--like those at ,little ,gidding1  
in ,huntingdonshire1 under the direction
 of ,mr4 ,nicholas ,ferrar4  ,it was so 
when the thirty years' war desolated    
,germany1 and the quiet in the land     
withdrew themselves from the agitated   
scene of human affairs to wait on ,god1 
embalming their hearts in hymns and     
poems which exhale a perfume as from    
crushed flowers4  ,it was eminently so  
in the days of which we write4          
,darkness covered the earth1 and gross  
darkness the peoples4  ,herod's infamous
 cruelties1 craft1 and bloodshed were at
 their height4  ,the country questioned 
with fear what new direction his crimes 
might take4  ,the priesthood was        
obsequious to his whim2 the bonds of    
society seemed dissolved4  ,theudas and 
,judas of ,galilee1 mentioned by        
,gamaliel1 were but specimens of the    
bandit leaders who broke into revolt and
 harried the country districts for the  

maintenance of their followers4  ,greed1
 peculation1 and lawless violence1 had  
ample and undisputed opportunity to     
despoil the national glory and corrupt  
the heart of the national life4  ,is it 
to be wondered that the godly remnant   
would meet in little groups and secluded
 hiding-places to comfort themselves in 
,god8  ,we are told1 for instance1 that 
,anna spake of the ,babe1 whom she had  
probably embraced in her aged trembling 
arms1 to all them that were looking for 
the redemption of ,jerusalem 7,luke ii4 
#ch1 ,r4,v474  ,what would we not give  
to know something more of the members of
 this sacred society1 which preserved   
the loftiest traditions1 and embodied in
 their lives some of the finest traits  
of the religion of their forefathers6   
,the gloom of their times only led them 
more eagerly to con the predictions of  
their ,hebrew prophets1 and desire their
 accomplishment4  ,full often they would
 climb the heights and look out over the
 desert wastes to descry the advent of  

the ,mighty ,one1 coming from ,edom1    
with his garments stained with the blood
 of ,israel's foes4  ,when they met1 the
 burden of conversation1 which flowed   
under vine or fig-tree1 by the wayside  
or in humble homes1 would be of their   
cherished hope4  ,and as they beheld the
 hapless condition of their fatherland1 
the land of ,abraham1 the city of       
,david1 the cry must often have been    
extorted2 ,how long1 ,o ,lord1 holy and 
true1 will it be ere ,he shall come     
whose right it is who shall sit on the  
throne of his father ,david1 and of     
whose kingdom there shall be no end8    
,come forth out of thy royal chambers1  
,o ,prince of all the kings of the      
earth6  ,put on the visible robes of thy
 imperial majesty2 take up that         
unlimited sceptre which thy ,almighty   
,father hath bequeathed ,thee2 for now  
the voice of thy bride calls ,thee1 and 
all creatures sigh to be renewed4  ,so  
our great ,milton prayed in more recent 
days4  ,we are not drawing on our       

imagination in describing these         
true-hearted watchers for the rising of 
the ,day-star4  ,they are fully         
indicated in the ,gospel story4  ,there 
was ,simeon1 righteous and devout1 unto 
whom it had been revealed by the ,holy  
,spirit that he should not see death    
before he had seen the ,lord's ,christ2 
and ,anna1 the prophetess1 who departed 
not from the temple1 worshipping with   
fastings and supplications night and    
day2 and the guileless ,nathanael1 an   
,israelite indeed1 who had perhaps      
already commenced to sit at the foot of 
the ladder which bound his fig-tree to  
the highest heaven2 and the peasant     
maiden ,mary1 the descendant of a noble 
house1 though with fallen fortunes1 who1
 like some vestal virgin1 clad in snowy 
white1 watched through the dark hours   
beside the flickering flame2 and last1  
but not least1 ,zacharias and his wife  
,elisabeth1 who were both righteous     
before ,god1 walking in all the         
commandments and ordinances of the ,lord

 blameless4  ,for us1 too1 the times are
 dark4  ,it is as though the shadows    
were being thrown far across the fields1
 and the light were becoming dim4 ,let  
the children of ,god draw together1 to  
encourage each other in their holy      
faith1 and to speak of their great      
hopes2 for ,he who appeared once to put 
away sin by the sacrifice of ,himself   
shall appear a second time without sin  
unto salvation4  ,we are1 as the ,french
 version puts it1 burgesses of the      
skies1 whence we wait for a ,saviour1   
the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 who shall     
fashion anew the body of our            
humiliation1 that it may be conformed to
 the body of his glory1 according to the
 working whereby ,he is able even to    
subject all things unto ,himself4  ,but 
this attitude of spirit1 which dwells in
 the unseen and eternal1 which counts on
 the indwelling of the ,son of ,god by  
faith1 and which ponders deeply over the
 sins and sorrows of the world around1  
is the temper of mind out of which the  

greatest deeds are wrought for the cause
 of ,god on the earth4  ,the ,marys who 
sit at ,christ's feet arise to anoint   
,him for his burying4  ,take1 for       
instance1 the ,moravian ,church1 born   
and cradled amid the pietism of which   
,spener of ,berlin and ,franke of ,halle
 were the acknowledged leaders2 and it  
has given to the world a far larger     
number of missionaries in proportion to 
its membership than any church of the   
age4  ,or take the followers of ,george 
,fox1 who have maintained through       
unparalleled suffering their testimony  
for spirituality of worship2 and it is  
undeniable that some of the greatest    
reforms which have characterised the    
century recently closed have found their
 foremost advocates and apologists from 
their somewhat meagre ranks4  ,those who
 wait on ,god renew their strength4     
,the world ignores them1 scorning to    
reckon their tears and toils amid its   
renovating energies2 but they refuse to 
abate their endeavours and sacrifices on

 its behalf4  ,they repay its neglect by
 more assiduous exertions1 its          
ingratitude by more exhausting          
sacrifices2 content if1 from out their  
ranks1 there presently steps one who1   
like ,john the ,baptist1 opens a new    
chapter in the history of the race1 and 
accelerates the advent of the ,christ4  
,,ii4  ,,the ,,parentage ,,of ,,the     
,,forerunner4--,as the traveller emerges
 from the dreary wilderness that lies   
between ,sinai and the southern frontier
 of ,palestine--a scorching desert1 in  
which ,elijah was glad to find shelter  
from the sword-like rays in the shade of
 the retem shrub--he sees before him a  
long line of hills1 which is the        
beginning of the hill country of ,judaea
 7,luke i4 #ci74  ,in contrast with the 
sand wastes which he has traversed1 the 
valleys seem to laugh and sing4         
,greener and yet greener grow the       
pasture lands1 till he can understand   
how ,nabal and other sheep-masters were 
able to find maintenance for vast flocks

 of sheep4  ,here and there are the     
crumbled ruins which mark the site of   
ancient towns and villages tenanted now 
by the jackal or the wandering ,arab4   
,amongst these1 a modern traveller has  
identified the site of ,juttah1 the     
village home of the priest ,zacharias   
and his wife ,elisabeth4  ,to judge by  
their names1 we may infer that their    
parents years before had been godly     
people4  ,zacharias meant ,god's        
remembrance2 as though he were to be a  
perpetual reminder to his fellows of    
what ,god had promised1 and to ,god of  
what they were expecting from his hand4 
,elisabeth meant ,god's oath2 as though 
her people were perpetually appealing to
 those covenant promises in which1 since
 ,he could swear by no greater1 ,god had
 sworn by ,himself1 that ,he would never
 leave nor forsake1 and that when the   
sceptre departed from ,judah and the    
law-giver from between his feet1 ,shiloh
 should come4  ,zacharias was a priest1 
of the course of ,abijah1 and twice a   

year he journeyed to ,jerusalem to      
fulfil his office1 for a week of six    
days and two ,sabbaths4  ,there were1   
,josephus tells us1 somewhat more than  
#bj1jjj priests settled in ,judaea at   
this time2 and very many of them were   
like those whom ,malachi denounced as   
degrading and depreciating the ,temple  
services4  ,the general character of the
 priesthood was deeply tainted by the   
corruption of the times1 and as a class 
they were blind leaders of the blind4   
,not a few1 however1 were evidently     
deeply religious men1 for we find that a
 great number of the priests1 after the 
crucifixion1 believed on ,christ and    
joined his followers4  ,in this class we
 must therefore place ,zacharias1 who1  
with his wife1 herself of the daughters 
of ,aaron1 is described as being        
righteous before ,god4  ,the phrases are
 evidently selected with care4  ,many   
are righteous before men2 but they were 
righteous before ,god4  ,their daily    
life and walk were regulated by a       

careful observance of the ordinances of 
the ceremonial and the commandments of  
the moral law4  ,it is evident1 from the
 apt and plentiful quotations from      
,scripture with which the song of       
,zacharias is replete1 that the         
,scriptures were deeply pondered and    
reverenced in that highland home2 and we
 have the angel's testimony to the      
prayers that ascended day and night4    
,in all these things they were          
blameless--not faultless1 as judged by  
,god's infinite standard of rectitude1  
but blameless--because they lived up to 
the fullest limit of their knowledge of 
the will of ,god4  ,they were blameless 
and harmless1 the children of ,god1     
without blemish1 in the midst of a      
crooked and perverse generation1 among  
whom they were seen as lights in the    
world1 holding forth amid neighbours and
 friends the ,word of ,truth4  ,but they
 lived under the shadow of a great      
sorrow4  ,they had no child1 because    
,elisabeth was barren1 and they both    

were now well stricken in years4  ,when 
the good priest put off his official    
dress of white linen1 and returned to   
his mountain home1 there was no childish
 voice to welcome him4  ,it seemed      
almost certain that their family would  
soon die out and be forgotten2 that no  
child would close their eyes in death2  
and that by no link whatsoever could    
they be connected with the ,messiah1 to 
be the progenitor of whom was the       
cherished longing of each ,hebrew       
parent4  ,they had no child6  ,they     
would1 therefore1 count themselves under
 the frown of ,god2 and the mother      
especially felt that a reproach lay on  
her4  ,what a clue to the anguish of the
 soul is furnished by her own           
reflection1 when she recognised the glad
 divine interposition on her behalf1 and
 cried1 ,thus hath the ,lord done unto  
me in the days wherein ,he looked upon  
me1 to take away my reproach among men  
7,luke i4 #be74  ,but had it not been   
for this sorrow they might never have   

been qualified to receive the first     
tidings of the near approach of the     
,messiah4  ,sorrow opens our eyes1 and  
bids us see visions within the vail1    
which cannot be described by those who  
have not wept4  ,sorrow leads us up the 
steep mountain of vision1 and opens the 
panorama which lies beyond the view of  
those who dare not attempt the craggy   
steep4 ,sorrow prepares us to see angels
 standing beside the altar of incense at
 the hour of prayer1 and to hear words  
that mortal lips may not utter until    
they are fulfilled4  ,sorrow leads us to
 open our house to those who carry a    
great anguish in their hearts1 who come 
to us needing shelter and comfort2 to   
discover finally that we have           
entertained an angel unawares1 and that 
in some trembling maiden1 threatened by 
divorce from her espoused1 we have      
welcomed the mother of the ,lord 7ver4  
#dc74  ,shrink not from sorrow4  ,it    
endures but for the brief eastern night2
 joy cometh in the morning1 to remain4  

,it may be caused by long waiting and   
apparently fruitless prayer4  ,beneath  
its pressure heart and flesh may faint4 
,all natural hope may have become dead1 
and the soul be plunged in hopeless     
despair4  ,yet the ,lord will command   
his loving-kindness in the morning2 and 
it will be seen that the dull autumn    
sowings of tears and loneliness and pain
 were the necessary preliminary for that
 heavenly messenger who1 standing on the
 right side of the altar of incense1    
shall assure us that our prayer is      
heard4   ,,iii4  ,,the ,,angel',s       
,,announcement4--,one memorable autumn1 
when the land was full of the           
grape-harvest1 ,zacharias left his home1
 in the cradle of the hills1 some three 
thousand feet above the ,mediterranean1 
for his priestly service4  ,reaching the
 temple he would lodge in the cloisters1
 and spend his days in the innermost    
court1 which none might enter save      
priests in their sacred garments4       
,among the various priestly duties1 none

 was held in such high esteem as the    
offering of incense1 which was presented
 morning and evening1 on a special      
golden altar1 in the ,holy ,place at the
 time of prayer4  ,the whole multitude  
of the people were praying without at   
the time of incense4  ,so honourable was
 this office that it was fixed by lot1  
and none was allowed to perform it      
twice4 ,only once in a priest's life was
 he permitted to sprinkle the incense on
 the burning coals1 which an assistant  
had already brought from the altar of   
burnt-sacrifice1 and spread on the altar
 of incense before the vail4  ,the      
silver trumpets had sounded4  ,the smoke
 of the evening sacrifice was ascending4
  ,the worshippers that thronged the    
different courts1 rising tier on tier1  
were engaged in silent prayer4  ,the    
assistant priest had retired2 and       
,zacharias1 for the first and only time 
in his life1 stood alone in the holy    
shrine1 while the incense which he had  
strewn on the glowing embers arose in   

fragrant clouds1 enveloping and veiling 
the objects around1 whilst it symbolized
 the ascent of prayers and intercessions
 not only from his own heart1 but from  
the hearts of his people1 into the      
presence of ,god4  ,and their prayer    
came up to his holy habitation1 even    
unto heaven4  ,what a litany of prayer  
poured from his heart6  ,for ,israel1   
that the chosen people should be        
delivered from their low estate2 for the
 cause of religion1 that it might be    
revived2 for the crowds without1 that   
,god would hear the prayers they were   
offering toward his holy sanctuary1 and1
 perhaps1 for ,elisabeth and himself1   
that1 if possible1 ,god would hear their
 prayer1 and1 if not1 that ,he would    
grant them to bear patiently their heavy
 sorrow4  ,and there appeared unto him  
an angel of the ,lord standing on the   
right side of the altar of incense4     
,mark how circumstantial the narrative  
is4  ,there could be no mistake4  ,he   
stood--and he stood on the right side4  

,it was ,gabriel who stands in the      
presence of ,god1 who had been sent to  
speak to him1 and declare the good      
tidings that his prayer was heard2 that 
his wife should bear a son1 who should  
be called ,john1 that the child should  
be welcomed with joy1 should be a       
,nazarite from his birth1 should be     
filled with the ,holy ,spirit from his  
birth1 should inherit the spirit and    
power of ,elias1 and should go before   
the face of ,christ to prepare his way1 
by turning the hearts of the fathers to 
the children1 and the disobedient to    
walk in the wisdom of the just4  ,he    
tarried long in the temple1 and what    
wonder6  ,the people would have ceased  
to marvel at the long suspense1 could   
they have known the cause of the delay4 
,presently he came out2 but when he     
essayed to pronounce the customary      
blessing his lips were dumb4  ,he made  
signs as he reached forth his hands in  
the attitude of benediction2 but that   
day no blessing fell on their upturned  

faces4  ,he continued making signs unto 
them and remained dumb4  ,dumb1 because 
he questioned the likelihood of so good 
and gracious an answer4  ,dumb1 because 
he believed not the archangel's words4  
,dumb1 that he might learn in silence   
and solitude the full purposes of ,god1 
to set them presently to song4  ,dumb1  
that the tidings might not spread as    
yet4  ,dumb1 as the representative of   
that wonderful system1 which for so long
 had spoken to mankind with             
comparatively little result1 but was now
 to be superseded by the ,word of ,god4 
,with the light of that glory on his    
face1 and those sweet notes of ,fear not
 ringing in his heart1 ,zacharias       
continued to fulfil the duties of his   
ministration1 and1 when his work was    
fulfilled1 departed unto his house4     
,but that day was long remembered by the
 people1 prelude as it was to the time  
when their blessings would no longer    
come from ,ebal or ,gerizim1 but from   
,calvary2 and when the great ,high      

,priest would utter from heaven the     
ancient words3    ,the ,lord bless thee 
and keep thee4   ,the ,lord make his    
face shine upon thee1 and be gracious   
unto thee4   ,the ,lord lift up his     
countenance upon thee1 and give thee    
peace4     ,,iii4  ,his ,schools and    
,schoolmasters4  7,,luke #a47    ,oh to 
have watched thee through the vineyards 
wander1     ,pluck the ripe ears1 and   
into evening roam6--   ,followed1 and   
known that in the twilight yonder       
,legions of angels shone about thy home6
             ,f4 ,w4 ,h4 ,,myers4       
,home-,life--,preparing for his         
,life-,work--,the ,vow of               
,separation--,a ,child of the ,desert   
,zacharias and ,elisabeth had probably  
almost ceased to pray for a child1 or to
 urge the matter4  ,it seemed useless to
 pray further4  ,there had been no      
heaven-sent sign to assure them that    
there was any likelihood of their prayer
 being answered1 and nature seemed to   
utter a final ,no2 when suddenly the    

angel of ,god broke into the commonplace
 of their life1 like a meteorite into   
the unrippled water of a                
mountain-sheltered lake1 bringing the   
assurance that there was no need for    
fear1 and the announcement that their   
prayer was heard4  ,it must have been   
like hearing news that a ship1 long     
overdue and almost despaired of1 has    
suddenly made harbour4  ,it is not      
impossible that prayers that we have    
ceased to pray1 and are in despair      
about1 will yet return to us with the   
words1 ,thy supplication is heard1      
endorsed on them in our ,father's       
handwriting4  ,not infrequently         
dividends are paid on investments which 
we have given up as valueless4 ,fruit   
that mellows longest in the sun is      
ripest4  ,such things may transcend     
altogether our philosophy of prayer2 but
 we are prepared for this1 since ,god is
 accustomed to do exceeding abundantly  
above all that we ask or think4  ,on his
 arrival in his home1 the aged priest1  

by means of the writing-table afterwards
 referred to1 informed his wife1 who    
apparently had not accompanied him1 of  
all that had happened1 even to the name 
which the child was to bear1 ,she1 at   
least1 seems to have found no difficulty
 in accepting the divine assurance1 and 
during her five months of seclusion she 
nursed great and mighty thoughts in her 
heart1 in the belief and prayer that her
 child would become all that his name is
 supposed to signify1 the gift of       
,jehovah4  ,it was ,elisabeth also who  
recognised in ,mary the mother of her   
,lord1 greeted her as blessed among     
women1 and assured her that there would 
be for her a fulfilment of the things   
which had been promised her4  ,month    
succeeded month1 but ,zacharias neither 
heard nor spoke4  ,his friends had to   
make signs to him1 for unbelief has the 
effect of shutting man out of the       
enjoyment of life1 and hindering his    
usefulness4  ,how different this time of
 waiting from the blessedness it brought

 to his wife's young relative1 who      
believed the heavenly messenger4  ,he   
was evidently a good man1 and well      
versed in the history of his people4    
,his soul1 as we learn from his song1   
was full of noble pride in the great and
 glorious past4  ,he could believe that 
when ,abraham and ,sarah were past age1 
a child was born to them1 who filled    
their tent with his merry prattle and   
laughter2 but he could not believe that 
such a blessing could fall to his lot4  
,and is not that the point where our    
faith staggers still8  ,we can believe  
in the wonder-working power of ,god on  
the distant horizon of the past1 or on  
the equally distant horizon of the      
future2 but that ,he should have a      
definite and particular care for our    
life1 that our prayers should touch     
,him1 that ,he should give us the desire
 of our heart--this staggers us1 and we 
feel it is too good to be true4  ,during
 the whole period that the stricken but 
expectant priest spent in his living    

tomb1 shut off from communication with  
the outer world1 his spirit was becoming
 charged with holy emotion1 that waited 
for the first opportunity of expression4
  ,such an opportunity came at length4  
,his lowly dwelling was one day crowded 
with an eager and enthusiastic throng of
 relatives and friends4  ,they had      
gathered to congratulate the aged pair1 
to perform the initial rite of ,judaism1
 and to name the infant boy that lay in 
his mother's arms4  ,ah1 what joy was   
hers when they came to magnify the      
,lord's mercy towards her1 and to       
rejoice with her6  ,as the people passed
 in and out1 there was a new glow in the
 brilliant eastern sunlight1 a new glory
 on the familiar hills4  ,in their      
perplexity at the mother's insistence   
that the babe's name should be          
,john--none of his kindred being known  
by that name--they appealed to his      
father1 who with trembling hand         
inscribed on the wax of the writing     
tablet the verdict1 ,his name is ,john4 

,so soon as he had broken the iron      
fetter of unbelief in thus acknowledging
 the fulfilment of the angel's words1   
his mouth was opened immediately1 and   
his tongue loosed1 and he spake1        
blessing ,god4  ,and fear came on all   
that dwelt round about them4  ,all these
 sayings quickly became the staple theme
 of conversation throughout all the     
hill-country of ,judaea2 and wherever   
they came1 they excited the profoundest 
expectation4  ,people laid them up in   
their hearts1 saying1 ,what1 then1 shall
 this child be8  ,and the child grew1   
and waxed strong in spirit4  ,and the   
hand of the ,lord was with him4  ,there 
were several remarkable formative       
influences operating on this young life4
   ,i4  ,,the ,,school ,,of             
,,home4--,his father was a priest4      
,john's earliest memories would register
 the frequent absence of his father in  
the fulfilment of his course2 and1 on   
his return1 with what eagerness would   
the boy drink in a recital of all that  

had transpired in the ,holy ,city6 ,we  
can imagine how the three would sit     
together beneath their trellised vine1  
in the soft light of the fading sunset1 
and talk of ,zion1 their chief joy4  ,no
 wonder that in after days1 as he looked
 on ,jesus as ,he walked1 he pointed to 
,him and said1 ,behold the ,lamb of     
,god2 for1 from the earliest1 his young 
mind had been saturated with thoughts of
 sacrifice4  ,when old enough his       
parents would take him with them to one 
of the great festivals1 where1 amid the 
thronging crowds1 his boyish eyes opened
 for the first time upon the stately    
,temple1 the order and vestments of the 
priests1 the solemn pomp of the         
,levitical ceremonial4  ,the young heart
 dilated and expanded with wonder and   
pride2 but how little he realized that  
his ministry would be the first step to 
its entire subversal4  ,he would be also
 taught carefully in the ,holy          
,scriptures4  ,like the young ,timothy1 
he would know them from early childhood4

  ,the song of ,zacharias reveals a     
vivid and realistic familiarity with the
 prophecies and phraseology of the      
,scriptures2 and as the happy parents   
recited them to his infant mind1 they   
would stay to emphasize them with       
impressive personal references4  ,what  
would we not have given to hear         
,zacharias quote ,isaiah xl4 or ,malachi
 iii41 and turn to the lad at his knee1 
saying--,these words refer to thee4--   
,yea1 and thou1 child1 shalt be called  
the ,prophet of the ,most ,high2 for    
thou shalt go before the face of the    
,lord to prepare his ways4  ,would not  
the aged priest speak to his son in     
thoughts and words like those with which
 his song is so replete2 might he not   
speak to him in some such way as this3  
,my boy1 ,god has fulfilled his holy    
covenant1 the oath which ,he sware unto 
,abraham1 our father2 because of the    
tender mercy of our ,god1 the ,dayspring
 from on high has visited us1 to shine  
upon them that sit in darkness1 and to  

guide our feet into the way of peace4   
,then he would proceed to tell him the  
marvellous story of his ,kinsman's birth
 in ,bethlehem1 and of his growing grace
 in ,nazareth4  ,blessed be the ,lord1  
the ,god of ,israel1 the old man said2  
for ,he hath visited and redeemed his   
people1 and hath raised up a horn of    
salvation for us in the house of his    
servant ,david1 as ,he spake by the     
mouth of his holy prophets1 which have  
been since the world began4  ,next the  
father would tell as much of the story  
of ,herod's crimes1 and of his          
oppressive rule1 as the lad could       
understand2 and explain how there would 
soon be salvation from their enemies1   
and from the hand of all that hated     
them4 ,and his young soul would be      
thrilled by the hopes which were        
bursting in the bud1 and so near        
breaking into flower4  ,sometimes when  
they were abroad together in the early  
dawn1 and saw the first peep of day1 the
 father would say3 ,john1 do you see    

that light breaking over the hills8     
,what that day-spring is to the world1  
,jesus1 thy cousin at ,nazareth1 will be
 to the darkness of sin4  ,then1 turning
 to the morning star1 shining in the    
path of the dawn1 and paling as they    
gazed1 he would say3 ,see thy destiny1  
my son3 ,i am an old man1 and shall not 
live to see thee in thy meridian        
strength2 but thou shalt shine for only 
a brief space1 and then decrease1 whilst
 ,he shall increase from the faint flush
 of day-spring to the perfect day4  ,and
 might not the child reply1 with a flash
 of intelligent appreciation8--,yes1    
father1 ,i understand2 but ,i shall be  
satisfied if only ,i have prepared the  
way of the ,lord4  ,there were also the 
associations of the surrounding country4
  ,the story of ,abraham would often be 
recited in the proximity of ,machpelah's
 sacred cave4  ,the career of ,david    
could not be unfamiliar to a youth who  
was within easy reach of the haunts of  
the shepherd-psalmist4  ,and the story  

of the ,maccabees would stir his soul1  
as his parents recounted the exploits of
 ,judas and his brethren1 in which the  
ancient ,hebrew faith and prowess had   
revived in one last glorious outburst4  
,how ineffaceable are the impressions of
 the ,home6  ,what the father is when he
 comes back at night from his toils1 and
 what the mother is all day2 what may be
 the staple of conversation in the home3
 whether the father is willing to be the
 companion of his child1 answering his  
questions1 and superintending the       
gradual unfolding of his mind2 how often
 the ,bible is opened and explained2 how
 the weekly rest-day is spent2 the      
attitude of the home towards strong     
drink in every shape and form1 and all  
else that might injure the young life1  
as gas does plants--all these are vital 
to the right nurture and direction of   
boys and girls who can only wax strong  
in spirit when all early influences     
combine in the same direction4   ,,ii4  
,,there ,,was ,,the ,,school ,,of ,,his 

,,nazarite-,,vow4--,the angel1 who      
announced his birth1 foretold that he   
should drink neither wine nor strong    
drink from his birth1 but that he should
 be filled with the ,holy ,spirit4      
,john1 said our ,lord1 came neither     
eating nor drinking4  ,this abstinence  
from all stimulants was a distinct sign 
of the ,nazarite1 together with the     
unshorn locks1 and the care with which  
he abstained from contact with death4   
,in some cases1 the vow of the ,nazarite
 might be taken for a time1 or1 as in   
the case of ,samson1 ,samuel1 and ,john1
 it might be for life4  ,but1 whether   
for shorter or longer1 the ,nazarite    
held himself as peculiarly given up to  
the service of ,god1 pliant to the least
 indication of his will1 quick to catch 
the smallest whisper of his voice1 and  
mighty in his strength4  ,mother1 why do
 ,i wear my hair so long8  ,you never   
cut it1 as the mothers of other boys do4
  ,no1 my son1 was the proud and glad   
reply2 you must never cut it as long as 

you live3 you are a ,nazarite4  ,mother1
 why may ,i not taste the grapes8  ,the 
boys say they are so nice and sweet4    
,may ,i not1 next vintage8  ,no1 never1 
his mother would reply2 you must never  
touch the fruit of the vine3 you are a  
,nazarite4  ,if1 as they walked along   
the public way1 they saw a bone left by 
some hungry dog1 or a little bird fallen
 to the earth to die1 and the boy would 
approach to touch either1 the mother    
would call him back to her side1 saying1
 ,thou must never touch a dead thing4   
,if thy father were to die1 or ,i1      
beside thee1 thou must not move us from 
the spot1 but call for help4  ,remember 
always that thou art separated unto     
,god2 his vows are upon thee1 and thou  
must let nothing1 either in symbol or   
reality1 steal away his power from thy  
young heart and life4  ,the effect of   
this would be excellent4  ,it would give
 a direction and purpose to the lad's   
thoughts and anticipations4  ,he        
realized that he was set apart for a    

great mission in life4  ,the brook heard
 the call of the sea4  ,besides which1  
he would acquire self-restraint1        
self-mastery4  ,what is it to be strong 
in spirit8  ,the man who carries        
everything before him with the impetuous
 rush of his nature1 before whose       
outbursts men tremble1 and who insists  
in all things on asserting his wild1    
masterful will--is he the strong man8   
,nay6 most evidently he must be classed 
among the weaklings4  ,the strength of a
 man is in proportion to the feelings   
which he curbs and subdues1 and not     
which subdue him4  ,the man who receives
 a flagrant insult1 and answers quietly2
 the man who bears a hopeless daily     
trial1 and remains silent2 the man who  
with strong passions remains chaste1 or 
with a quick sense of injustice can     
refrain himself and remain calm--these  
are strong men2 and ,john waxed strong1 
because1 from the earliest dawn of      
thought1 he was taught the necessity of 
refusing things which in themselves     

might have been permissible1 but for him
 were impossible4  ,on each of us rests 
the vow of separation by right of our   
union with the ,son of ,god1 who was    
holy1 harmless1 undefiled1 and separate 
from sinners4 ,remember how ,he went    
without the camp1 bearing our reproach2 
how they cast ,him forth to the death of
 the cross2 and how ,he awaits us on the
 ,easter side of death--and surely we   
can find no pleasure in the world where 
,he found no place4  ,his death has made
 a lasting break between his followers  
and the rest of men4  ,they are         
crucified to the world1 and the world to
 them4  ,let us not taste of the        
intoxicating joys in which the children 
of the present age indulge2 let us allow
 no ,delilah passion to pass her        
scissors over our locks2 and let us be  
very careful not to receive             
contamination2 to have no fellowship    
with the unfruitful works of darkness1  
but to come out and be separate1 not    
touching the unclean thing4  ,but while 

we put away all that injures our own    
life or the lives of others1 let us be  
very careful to discriminate1 to draw   
the line where ,god would have it drawn1
 exaggerating and extenuating nothing4  
,it is important to remember that while 
the motto of the old covenant was       
,exclusion1 even of innocent and natural
 things1 that of the new is ,inclusion4 
,moses1 under the old1 forbade the ,jews
 having horses2 but ,zechariah said that
 in the new they might own horses1 only 
,holiness to the ,lord must be engraven 
on the bells of their harness4  ,christ 
has come to sanctify all life4  ,whether
 we eat1 or drink1 or whatever we do1 we
 are to do all to his glory4  ,disciples
 are not to be taken out of the world1  
but kept from its evil4  ,every creature
 of ,god is good1 and nothing to be     
refused1 if it be received with         
thanksgiving2 for it is sanctified by   
the ,word of ,god1 and prayer4  ,natural
 instincts are not to be crushed1 but   
transfigured4  ,this is the great       

contrast between the ,baptist and the   
,son of ,man4  ,the ,nazarite would have
 felt it a sin against the law of his   
vocation and office to touch anything   
pertaining to the vine4  ,christ began  
his signs by changing water into wine1  
though of an innocuous kind1 for the    
peasants' wedding at ,cana of ,galilee4 
,john would have lost all sanctity had  
he touched the bodies of the dead1 or   
the flesh of a leper4  ,christ would    
touch a bier1 pass his hands over the   
seared flesh of the leper1 and stand    
sympathetically beside the grave of his 
friend4  ,thus we catch a glimpse of our
 ,lord's meaning when ,he affirms that1 
though ,john was the greatest of women  
born1 yet the least in the ,kingdom of  
heaven is greater than he4   ,,iii4     
,,there ,,was ,,the ,,school ,,of ,,the 
,,desert4--,the child was in the deserts
 till the day of his showing unto       
,israel4  ,probably ,zacharias1 and     
,elisabeth also1 died when ,john was    
quite young4  ,but the boy had grown    

into adolescence1 was able to care for  
himself1 and the hand of the ,lord was  
with him4  ,beneath the guidance and    
impulse of that hand he tore himself    
from the little home where he had first 
seen the tender light of day1 and spent 
happy years1 to go forth from the       
ordinary haunts of men1 perhaps hardly  
knowing whither4  ,there was a wild     
restlessness in his soul4  ,a young man1
 pleading the other day with his father 
to be allowed to emigrate to the ,west1 
urged that whereas there are inches here
 there are acres there2 and something of
 this kind may have been in the heart of
 ,john4  ,he desired to free himself    
from the conventionalities and          
restraints of the society amid which he 
had been brought up1 that he might      
develop after his own fashion1 with no  
laws but those he received from heaven4 
,fatherless1 motherless1 brotherless1   
sisterless--a lone man1 he passed forth 
into the great and terrible wilderness  
of ,judaea1 which is so desolate that   

the ,jews called it the abomination of  
desolation4 ,travellers who have passed 
over and through it say that it is      
destitute of all animal life1 save a    
chance vulture or fox4  ,for the most   
part1 it is a waste of sand1 swept by   
wild winds4  ,when ,jesus was there some
 two or three years after1 ,he found    
nothing to eat2 the stones around mocked
 his hunger2 and there was no company   
save that of the wild beasts4  ,in this 
great and terrible wilderness1 ,john    
supported himself by eating locusts--the
 literal insect1 which is still greatly 
esteemed by the natives--and wild honey1
 which abounded in the crevices of the  
rocks2 while for clothing he was content
 with a coat of coarse camel's hair1    
such as the ,arab women make still2 and 
a girdle of skin about his loins4 ,a    
cave1 like that in which ,david and his 
men often found refuge1 sufficed him for
 a home1 and the water of the streams   
that hurried to the ,dead ,sea1 for his 
beverage4  ,can we wonder that under    

such a regimen he grew strong8  ,we     
become weak by continual contact with   
our fellows4  ,we sink to their level1  
we accommodate ourselves to their       
fashions and whims2 we limit the natural
 developments of character on ,god's    
plan2 we take on the colour of the      
bottom on which we lie4  ,but in        
loneliness and solitude1 wherein we meet
 ,god1 we become strong4  ,god's strong 
men are rarely clothed in soft raiment1 
or found in kings' courts4  ,obadiah1   
who stood in awe of ,ahab1 was a very   
different man from ,elijah1 who was of  
the inhabitants of ,gilead1 and stood   
before the ,lord4  ,yes1 and there is a 
source of strength beside4  ,he who is  
filled and taught1 as ,john was1 by the 
,spirit1 is strengthened by might in the
 inner man4  ,all things are possible to
 him that believes4  ,simon ,bar-,jona  
becomes ,peter when he touches the      
,christ4  ,the youths faint and are     
weary1 and the young men utterly fall2  
but they that wait on the ,lord renew   

their strength3 they who know ,god are  
strong and do exploits4     ,,iv4  ,the 
,prophet of the ,highest4  7,,luke ,i47 
,ye hermits blest1 ye holy maids1       
,the nearest heaven on earth1     ,who  
talk with ,god in shadowy glades1       
,free from rude care and mirth2   ,to   
whom some viewless ,teacher brings      
,the secret love of rural things1   ,the
 moral of each fleeting cloud and gale1 
,the whispers from above1 that haunt the
 twilight vale4             ,,keble4    
,formative ,influences--,a ,historical  
,parallel--,the ,burning of the         
,vanities--,sent from ,god   ,thou1     
child1 shalt be called the ,prophet of  
the ,most ,high--thus ,zacharias        
addressed his infant son1 as he lay in  
the midst of that group of wondering    
neighbours and friends4  ,what a thrill 
of ecstasy quivered in the words6  ,a   
long period1 computed at four hundred   
years1 had passed since the last great  
,hebrew prophet had uttered the words of
 the ,highest4  ,reaching back from him 

to the days of ,moses had been a long   
line of prophets1 who had passed down   
the lighted torch from hand to hand4    
,and the fourteen generations1 during   
which the prophetic office had been     
discontinued1 had gone wearily4  ,but   
now hope revived1 as the angel-voice    
proclaimed the advent of a prophet4     
,our ,lord corroborated his words when1 
in after days1 ,he said that ,john had  
been a prophet1 and something more4     
,but what went ye out to see8 ,he asked4
  ,a prophet8  ,yea1 ,i say unto you1   
and much more than a prophet4  ,the     
,hebrew word that stands for prophet is 
said to be derived from a root          
signifying to boil or bubble over1 and  
suggests a fountain bursting from the   
heart of the man into which ,god had    
poured it4  ,it is a mistake to confine 
the word to the prediction of coming    
events2 for so employed it would hardly 
be applicable to men like ,moses1       
,samuel1 and ,elijah1 in the ,old       
,testament1 or ,john the ,baptist and   

the apostle ,paul1 in the ,new1 who were
 certainly prophets in the deepest      
significance of that term4  ,prophecy   
means the forth-telling of the ,divine  
message4  ,the prophet is borne along by
 the stream of ,divine indwelling and   
inflowing1 whether he utters the truth  
for the moment or anticipates the       
future4  ,god spake in the prophets     
7,hebrews i4 #a1 ,r4,v474  ,and when    
they were conscious of his mighty moving
 and stirring within1 woe to them if    
they did not utter it in burning words1 
fresh minted from the heart4  ,with     
,malachi1 the succession that had       
continued unbroken from the very        
foundation of the ,jewish commonwealth  
had terminated4  ,pious ,israelites     
might have found befitting expression   
for that lament in the words1 ,we see   
not our signs3 there is no more any     
prophet 7,psa4 lxxiv4 #i74  ,but as the 
voice of ,old ,testament prophecy       
ceased1 with its last breath it foretold
 that it would be followed1 in the after

 time1 by a new and glorious revival of 
the noblest traditions of the prophetic 
office4 ,behold1 so ,god spake by       
,malachi1 ,i will send you ,elijah the  
prophet before the great and terrible   
day of the ,lord come4  ,and he shall   
turn the heart of the fathers to the    
children1 and the heart of the children 
to their fathers2 lest ,i come and smite
 the earth with a curse 7,mal4 iv4 #e1  
#f74   ,i4  ,,the ,,formative           
,,influences ,,by ,,which ,,the         
,,baptist',s ,,prophetic ,,nature ,,was 
,,moulded4--,amongst these we must place
 in the foremost rank the ,prophecies1  
which had given a forecast of his       
career4  ,from his childhood and upwards
 they had been reiterated in his ear by 
his parents1 who would never weary of   
reciting them4  ,how often he would     
ponder the reference to himself in the  
great ,messianic prediction--,comfort   
ye1 comfort ye my people1 saith your    
,god4444  ,the voice of one that crieth1
 ,prepare ye the way of the ,lord2 make 

straight in the desert a highway for our
 ,god4444  ,there was no doubt as to the
 relevance of those words to himself    
7,luke i4 #gf2 ,matt4 iii4 #c74  ,and it
 must have unconsciously wrought        
mightily in the influence it wielded    
over his character and ministry4  ,there
 was1 also1 that striking anticipation  
by ,malachi which we have already       
quoted1 and which directly suggested    
,elijah as his model4  ,had not ,gabriel
 himself alluded to it1 when he foretold
 that the predicted child would go      
before the ,messiah1 in the spirit and  
power of ,elijah 7,luke i4 #ag78  ,and  
again his statement was confirmed by our
 ,lord in after days 7,matt4 xi4 #ad74  
,thus the great figure of ,elijah was   
ever before the mind of the growing     
youth1 as his model and inspiration4    
,he found himself perpetually asking1   
,how did ,elijah act1 and what would he 
do here and now8  ,and there is little  
doubt that his choice of the lonely     
wilderness1 of the rough mantle of      

camel's hair1 of the abrupt and arousing
 form of address1 was suggested by that 
village of ,thisbe in the land of       
,gilead1 and those personal             
characteristics which were so familiar  
in the ,prophet of ,fire4  ,but the mind
 of the ,forerunner must also have been 
greatly exercised by the lawlessness and
 crime which involved all classes of his
 countrymen in a common condemnation4   
,the death of ,herod1 occurring when    
,john was yet a child1 dependent on the 
care of the good ,elisabeth1 had led to 
disturbances which afforded an excuse   
for the ,roman occupation of ,jerusalem4
  ,the sceptre had departed from ,judah1
 and the lawgiver from between his feet4
  ,the high priesthood was a mere       
forfeit in the deals of ,idumaean       
tetrarchs and ,roman governors4  ,the   
publicans were notorious for their      
exactions1 their covetousness1 their    
cheating and oppression of the people4  
,soldiers filled the country with       
violence1 extortion1 and discontent4    

,the priests were hirelings2 the        
,pharisees were hypocrites2 the ruling  
classes had set aside their primitive   
simplicity and purity1 and were given up
 to the voluptuousness and licence of   
the ,empire4  ,brood of vipers was      
apparently not too strong a phrase to   
use of the foremost religious leaders of
 the day--at least1 when used1 its      
relevance passed without challenge4     
,tidings of the evil that was           
overflowing the land like a deluge of   
ink were constantly coming to the ears  
of this eager soul1 filling it with     
horror and dismay2 and to this must be  
traced much of the austerity which      
arrested the attention of his           
contemporaries4  ,the idea which lies   
beneath the fasting and privation of so 
many of ,god's servants1 has been that  
of an overwhelming sorrow1 which has    
taken away all taste for the pleasures  
and comforts of life4  ,and this was the
 thought by which ,john was penetrated4 
,on the one hand1 there was his deep and

 agonizing conviction of the sin of     
,israel2 and on the other1 the belief   
that the ,messiah must be nigh1 even at 
the doors4  ,thus the pressure of the   
burden increased on him till he was     
forced to give utterance to the cry it  
extorted from his soul3 ,repent1 for the
 kingdom of heaven is at hand4  ,but in 
addition to these we must add the vision
 of ,god1 which must have been specially
 vouchsafed to him whilst he sojourned  
in those lonely wilds4  ,he spoke once  
of ,him who sent him to baptize4        
,evidently he had become accustomed to  
detect his presence and hear his voice4 
,those still small accents which had    
fallen on the ear of his great prototype
 had thrilled his soul4  ,he1 too1 had  
seen the ,lord high and lifted up1 had  
heard the chant of the seraphim1 and had
 felt the live coal touch his lips1 as  
it had been caught from the altar by the
 seraph's tongs4  ,this has ever been   
characteristic of the true prophet4  ,he
 has been a seer4  ,he has spoken1      

because he has beheld with his eyes1    
looked upon1 and handled1 the very ,word
 of ,god4  ,the ,divine ,prophet1       
speaking for all that had preceded ,him1
 said3 ,we speak that which we know1 and
 testify that we have seen4  ,in this we
 may have some share4  ,it is permitted 
to us also to see2 to climb the ,mount  
of ,vision1 and look on the glory of    
,god in the face of ,jesus ,christ2 to  
have revealed to us things that eye hath
 not seen1 nor ear heard1 nor the heart 
of man conceived4  ,let us remember that
 we are to be ,god's witnesses in the   
,jerusalem of the home1 the ,judaea of  
our immediate neighbours1 and to the    
uttermost parts of the earth of our     
profession or daily calling4  ,god      
demands not advocates1 but witnesses2   
and we must see for ourselves1 before we
 can bear witness to others1 the glory  
of that light still flushing our faces1 
and the accent of conviction minted in  
our speech4  ,these are the three signs 
of a prophet3 vision1 a deep conviction 

of sin and impending judgment1 and the  
gushing forth of moving and eloquent    
speech2 and each of these was apparent1 
in an exalted and extreme degree1 in    
,john the son of ,zacharias4   ,,ii4    
,,an ,,illustrative ,,and ,,remarkable  
,,parallel4--,as ,john came in the      
spirit and power of ,elijah1 so1 four   
hundred years ago1 in the lovely city of
 ,florence1 a man was sent from ,god to 
testify against the sins of his age1 who
 in many particulars so exactly         
corresponds with our ,lord's forerunner 
that the one strongly recalls the other1
 and it may help us to bring the        
circumstances of the ,baptist's ministry
 within a measurable distance of        
ourselves if we briefly compare them    
with the career of ,girolamo            
,savonarola4  ,it must1 of course1 be   
always borne in mind that the great     
,florentine could lay no claim to the   
peculiar and unique position and power  
of the ,baptist4  ,but1 in many         
respects1 there is a remarkable parallel

 and similarity between them1 which will
 help us to translate the old ,hebrew   
conceptions into our modern life4  ,the 
physician's household at ,ferrara1 into 
which ,savonarola was born on ,september
 #ba1 #adeb1 was probably no more       
distinguished amid other families of the
 town than that of ,zacharias and       
,elisabeth in the hill country of       
,judaea4  ,and as we read of the        
invincible love of truth which          
characterized the keen and intelligent  
lad1 we are forcibly reminded of the    
,baptist1 whose whole life was an       
eloquent protest on behalf of reality4  
,in one of his greatest sermons         
,savonarola declared that he had always 
striven after truth with all his might1 
and maintained a constant war against   
falsehood4  ,the more trouble--they are 
his own words--,i bestowed upon my      
quest1 the greater became my longing1 so
 that for it ,i was prepared to abandon 
life itself4  ,when ,i was but a boy1 ,i
 had such thoughts2 and from that time1 

the desire and longing after this good  
has gone on increasing to the present   
day4  ,we cannot read of ,savonarola's  
saintly life1 over which even the breath
 of calumny has never cast a stain--of  
his depriving himself of every          
indulgence1 content with the hardest    
couch and roughest clothing1 and just   
enough of the plainest food to support  
life--without remembering the camel's   
cloth1 the locusts and wild honey of the
 ,baptist4  ,if ,john's lot was cast on 
evil days1 when religion suffered most  
in the house of her friends1 so was it  
with ,savonarola4  ,the fourteenth and  
fifteenth centuries witnessed the       
increasing corruption and licentiousness
 of popes and clergy4  ,the offices of  
cardinal and bishop were put up to      
auction1 and sold to the highest bidder4
  ,the bishop extorted money from the   
priests1 and these robbed the people4   
,the grossest immorality was prevalent  
in all ranks of the ,church1 and without
 concealment4  ,even the monasteries and

 convents were often dens of vice4      
,italy1 said ,machiavelli1 has lost all 
piety and all religion4  ,we have to    
thank the ,church and the priests for   
our abandoned wickedness4  ,as ,john    
beheld the fire and fan of impending    
judgment1 so the burden of ,savonarola's
 preaching was that the ,church was     
about to be chastised1 and afterwards   
renewed4  ,so powerful was this         
impression on the preacher's mind that  
it can best be described in his own     
words as a vision4  ,he tells us that on
 one occasion the heavens seemed to open
 before him1 and there appeared a       
representation of the calamities that   
were coming on the ,church2 on another1 
he saw1 in the middle of the sky1 a hand
 bearing a sword1 on which words of doom
 were written4  ,he described himself as
 one who looked into the invisible      
world4  ,the herald of ,jesus possessed 
a marvellous eloquence1 beneath which   
the whole land was moved2 and so it was 
with ,savonarola4  ,during the eight    

years that he preached in the cathedral1
 it was thronged with vast crowds2 and  
as he pleaded for purity of life and    
simplicity of manners1 women threw aside
 jewels and finery1 libertines were     
transformed into sober citizens1 bankers
 and tradesmen restored their ill-gotten
 gains4 ,in ,lent1 #adig1 took place    
what is known as the ,burning of the    
,vanities4 ,bands of children were sent 
forth to collect from all parts of the  
city1 indecent books and pictures1      
carnival masks and costumes1 cards1     
dice1 and all such things4  ,a pile was 
erected1 sixty feet in height1 and fired
 amid the sound of trumpets and pealing 
bells4  ,what ,herod was to ,john the   
,baptist1 the ,pope and the magnificent 
,lorenzo di ,medici were to ,savonarola4
  ,the latter seems to have felt a      
strange fascination towards the eloquent
 preacher1 tried to attach him to his   
court1 was frequent in his attendance at
 ,san ,marco1 and gave largely to his   
offertories4  ,to use the words of the  

,new ,testament1 he feared him1 knowing 
that he was a righteous man1 and a holy 
7,mark vi4 #bj74  ,but ,savonarola took 
care to avoid any sign of compliance or 
compromise2 declined to pay homage to   
,lorenzo for promotion to high          
ecclesiastical functions2 returned his  
gold from the offertories2 and when they
 ran to tell him that ,lorenzo was      
walking in the convent garden1 answered1
 ,if he has not asked for me1 do not    
disturb his meditations or mine4  ,like 
,john1 ,savonarola was unceasing in his 
denunciation of the hypocritical        
religion which satisfied itself with    
outward observances4 ,i tell you1 he    
said1 that the ,lord willeth not that ye
 fast on such a day or at such an hour2 
but willeth that ye avoid sin all the   
days of your life4  ,observe how they go
 about--seeking indulgences and pardons1
 ringing bells1 decking altars1 dressing
 churches4  ,god heedeth not your       
ceremonies4  ,john's exhortation to     
,behold the ,lamb of ,god finds an echo 

in the noble utterance of this illumined
 soul1 who1 be it remembered1           
anticipated ,luther's ,reformation by a 
hundred years4  ,if all the             
ecclesiastical hierarchy be corrupt1 the
 believer must turn to ,christ1 who is  
the primary cause1 and say3 ',thou art  
my ,priest and my ,confessor4'  ,the    
fate of martyrdom that befell ,john was 
awarded also to ,savonarola4 ,through   
the impetuosity of his followers1 he was
 involved in a challenge to ordeal by   
fire4  ,but by the manoeuvres of his    
foes1 the expectations of the populace  
in this direction were disappointed1 and
 their anger aroused4  ,to ,san ,marco6 
shouted their leaders4  ,to ,san ,marco 
they went1 fired the buildings1 burst   
open the doors1 fought their way into   
the cloisters and church1 dragged       
,savonarola from his devotions1 and     
thrust him into a loathsome dungeon4    
,after languishing there1 amid every    
indignity and torture1 for some weeks1  
on ,may #bc1 #adih1 he was led forth to 

die4  ,the bishop1 whose duty it was to 
pronounce his degradation1 stumbled at  
the formula declaring--,i separate thee 
from the ,church1 militant and          
triumphant4  ,from the militant thou    
mayest1 but from the triumphant thou    
canst not1 was the martyr's calm reply4 
,he met his end with unflinching        
fortitude4  ,he was strangled1 his      
remains hung in chains1 burned1 and the 
ashes flung into the river4  ,when the  
commissioners of the ,pope arrived at   
his trial1 they brought with them       
express orders that he was to die1 even 
though he were a second ,john the       
,baptist4  ,it is thus that the apostate
 ,church has always dealt with her      
noblest sons4  ,but ,truth1 struck to   
the ground1 revives4  ,hers are the     
eternal years4  ,within a few years1    
,luther was nailing his theses at the   
door of the church at ,wittenberg1 and  
the ,reformation was on its way4  ,there
 is a legend1 which at least contains a 
true suggestion1 that when ,savonarola  

was on his way to ,florence from ,genoa1
 as a young man1 his strength failed him
 as he was crossing the ,apennines1 but 
that a mysterious stranger appeared to  
him1 restored his courage1 led him to a 
hospice1 compelled him to take food1 and
 afterwards accompanied him to his      
destination2 but on reaching the ,san   
,gallo gate he vanished1 with the words1
 ,remember to do that for which ,god    
hath sent thee6  ,the story recalls     
forcibly the words with which the       
evangelist ,john introduces his notice  
of the ,forerunner--,there was a man    
sent from ,god1 whose name was ,john4   
,men are always coming1 sent from ,god1 
specially adapted to their age1 and     
entrusted with the message which the    
times demand4  ,see to it that thou too 
realize thy divine mission2 for ,jesus  
said1 ,as the ,father hath sent ,me1    
even so send ,i you4 ,every true life is
 a mission from ,god4  ,and when we read
 the words of the apostle ,paul about   
,john fulfilling his course1 we may well

 ask for grace that we may fill up to   
the brim the measure of our             
opportunities1 that we may realize to   
the full ,god's meaning and intention in
 creating us3 and so our lives shall    
mate with the ,divine ,ideal1 like      
sublime words with some heavenly strain1
 each completing the other4     ,v4     
,the ,first ,ministry of the ,baptist4  
7,,luke ,,iii47    ,hark1 what a sound1 
and too divine for hearing1     ,stirs  
on the earth and trembles in the air6   
,is it the thunder of the ,lord's       
appearing8     ,is it the music of his  
people's prayer8    ,surely ,he cometh1 
and a thousand voices     ,shout to the 
saints1 and to the deaf and dumb2       
,surely ,he cometh1 and the earth       
rejoices1     ,glad in his coming who   
hath sworn1 ,i come4             ,f4 ,w4
 ,h4 ,,myers4   ,the ,preaching of      
,repentance--,his ,power as a           
,preacher--,his ,message--,warning of   
,impending ,judgment--,the ,wages of    
,sin   ,thirty years had left their mark

 on the ,forerunner4  ,the aged priest  
and his wife ,elisabeth had been carried
 to their grave by other hands than     
those of the young ,nazarite4  ,the     
story of his miraculous birth1 and the  
expectations it had aroused1 had almost 
died out of the memory of the           
countryside4  ,for many years ,john had 
been living in the caves that indent the
 limestone rocks of the desolate        
wilderness which extends from ,hebron to
 the western shores of the ,dead ,sea4  
,by the use of the scantiest fare1 and  
roughest garb1 he had brought his body  
under complete mastery4  ,from nature1  
from the inspired page1 and from direct 
fellowship with ,god1 he had received   
revelations which are only vouchsafed to
 those who can stand the strain of      
discipline in the school of solitude and
 privation4  ,he had carefully pondered 
also the signs of the times1 of which he
 received information from the ,bedouin 
and others with whom he came in contact4
  ,blended with all other thoughts1     

,john's heart was filled with the advent
 of ,him1 so near akin to himself1 who1 
to his certain knowledge1 was growing   
up1 a few months his junior1 in an      
obscure highland home1 but who was      
speedily to be manifested to ,israel4   
,at last the moment arrived for him to  
utter the mighty burden that pressed    
upon him2 and in the fifteenth year of  
,tiberius ,caesar1 ,pontius ,pilate     
being governor of ,judaea1 ,herod the   
tetrarch of ,galilee1 ,annas and        
,caiaphas the high priests1 the word of 
,god came unto ,john1 the son of        
,zacharias1 in the wilderness4  ,it may 
have befallen thus4 ,one day1 as a      
caravan of pilgrims was slowly climbing 
the mountain gorges threaded by the road
 between ,jerusalem and ,jericho1 or    
halted for a moment in the noontide     
heat1 they were startled by the         
appearance of a gaunt and sinewy man1   
with flowing raven locks1 and a voice   
which must have been as sonorous and    
penetrating as a clarion1 who cried1    

,repent6 the ,kingdom of ,heaven is at  
hand4  ,it was as though a spark had    
fallen on dry tinder4  ,the tidings     
spread with wonderful rapidity that in  
the wilderness of ,judaea one was to be 
met who recalled the memory of the great
 prophets1 and whose burning eloquence  
was of the same order as of ,isaiah or  
,ezekiel4  ,instantly people began to   
flock to him from all sides4  ,there    
went out to him ,jerusalem1 and all     
,judaea1 and all the region round about 
,jordan4  ,the neighbourhood suddenly   
became black with hurrying crowds--as   
,klondike1 when the news of the         
discovery of gold began to spread4      
,from lip to lip the tidings sped of a  
great leader and preacher1 who had      
suddenly appeared4  ,he seems finally to
 have taken his stand not far from the  
rose-clad oasis of ,jericho1 on the     
banks of the ,jordan2 and men of every  
tribe1 class1 and profession1 gathered  
thither1 listening eagerly1 or          
interrupting him with loud cries for    

help4  ,the population of the           
metropolis1 familiar with the ,temple   
services1 and accustomed to the         
splendour of the palace2 fishermen from 
the ,lake of ,gennesaret1 dusky sons of 
,ishmael from the desert of ,gilead2 the
 proud ,pharisee2 the detested publican1
 who had fattened on the sorrows and    
burdens of the people--were there1      
together with crowds of ordinary people 
that could find no resting-place in the 
schools or systems of religious thought 
of which ,jerusalem was the centre4     
#a4  ,,many ,,causes ,,accounted ,,for  
,,john',s ,,immense ,,popularity4--,the 
office of the prophet was almost        
obsolete4  ,several centuries1 as we    
have seen1 had passed since the last    
great prophet had finished his          
testimony4  ,the oldest man living at   
that time could not remember having seen
 a man who had ever spoken to a prophet4
  ,it seemed as unlikely1 to adopt the  
phrase of another1 that another prophet 
should arise in that formal1            

materialistic age1 as that another      
cathedral should be added to the        
splendid remains of ,gothic glory which 
tell us of those bygone days when there 
were giants in the land4  ,moreover1    
,john gave such abundant evidence of    
sincerity--of reality4 ,his independence
 of anything that this world could give 
made men feel that whatever he said was 
inspired by his direct contact with     
things as they literally are4  ,it was  
certain that his severe and lonely life 
had rent the vail1 and given him the    
knowledge of facts and realities1 which 
were as yet hidden from ordinary men1   
though waiting1 soon to be revealed2 and
 it was equally certain that his words  
were a faithful and adequate            
presentation of what he saw4  ,he spoke 
what he knew1 and testified what he had 
seen4  ,his accent of conviction was    
unmistakable4 ,when men see the         
professed prophet of the ,unseen and    
,eternal as keen after his own interests
 as any worldling1 shrewd at a bargain1 

captivated by show1 obsequious to the   
titled and wealthy2 when they discover  
the man who predicts the dissolution of 
all things carefully investing the      
proceeds of the books in which he       
publishes his predictions--they are apt 
to reduce to a minimum their faith in   
his words4  ,but there was no trace of  
this in the ,baptist1 and therefore the 
people went forth to him4  ,above all1  
he appealed to their moral convictions1 
and1 indeed1 expressed them4  ,the      
people knew that they were not as they  
should be4 ,for a long time this        
consciousness had been gaining ground2  
and now they flocked around the man who 
revealed themselves to themselves1 and  
indicated with unfaltering decision the 
course of action they should adopt4     
,how marvellous is the fascination which
 he exerts over men who will speak to   
their inner-most souls6  ,this has      
always been the source of power to the  
great orators of the ,romish            
,church--men like ,massillon1 for       

instance--and to refuse to use this     
method of approach is to forego one of  
the mightiest weapons in the repertory  
of ,christian appeal4  ,if we deal only 
with the intellect or imagination1 the  
novelist or essayist may successfully   
compete with us4  ,it is in his direct  
appeal to the heart and conscience1 that
 the servant of ,god exerts his supreme 
and unrivalled power4  ,though a man may
 shrink from the preaching of           
repentance1 yet1 if it tell the truth   
about himself1 he will be irresistibly  
attracted to hear the voice that harrows
 his soul4  ,john rebuked ,herod for    
many things2 but still the royal        
offender sent for him again and again1  
and heard him gladly4  ,it is expressly 
said that ,john saw many ,pharisees and 
,sadducees coming to his baptism 7,matt4
 iii4 #g74  ,their advent appears to    
have caused him some surprise4  ,ye     
offspring of vipers1 who warned you to  
flee from the wrath to come8  ,the      
strong epithet he used of them suggests 

that they came as critics1 because they 
were unwilling to surrender the         
leadership of the religious life of     
,israel1 and were anxious to keep in    
touch with the new movement1 until they 
could sap its vitality1 or divert its   
force into the channels of their own    
influence4  ,but it is quite likely that
 in many cases there were deeper        
reasons4 ,the ,pharisees were the       
ritualists and formalists of their day1 
who would wrangle about the breadth of a
 phylactery1 and decide to an inch how  
far a man might walk on the ,sabbath    
day2 but the mere externals of religion 
will never permanently satisfy the soul 
made in the likeness of ,god4           
,ultimately it will turn from them with 
a great nausea and an insatiable desire 
for the living ,god4  ,as for the       
,sadducees1 they were the materialists  
of their time4  ,the reaction of        
superstition1 it has been said1 is to   
infidelity2 and the reaction from       
,pharisaism was to ,sadduceeism4        

,disgusted and outraged by the trifling 
of the literalists of ,scripture        
interpretation1 the ,sadducee denied    
that there was an eternal world and a   
spiritual state1 and asserted that there
 is no resurrection1 neither angel1 nor 
spirit4  ,but mere negation can never   
satisfy4  ,the heart still moans out its
 sorrow under the darkness of           
agnosticism1 as the ocean sighing under 
a starless midnight4 ,nature's instincts
 are more cogent than reason4  ,it was  
hardly to be wondered at1 then1 that    
these two great classes were largely    
represented in the crowds that gathered 
on the banks of the ,jordan4   ,,ii4    
,,let ,,us ,,briefly ,,enumerate ,,the  
,,main ,,burden ,,of ,,the ,,baptist',s 
,,preaching4--7#a7 ,the ,kingdom of     
,heaven is at hand4  ,to a ,jew that    
phrase meant the re-establishment of the
 ,theocracy1 and a return to those great
 days in the history of his people when 
,god ,himself was ,lawgiver and ,king4  
,had not ,daniel predicted that in the  

days of the last of the great empires1  
prefigured in ,nebuchadnezzar's dream1  
the ,god of heaven would set up a       
kingdom which should never be           
destroyed--which should break in pieces 
all other kingdoms and stand for ever8  
,had he not foreseen a time when ,one   
like unto a son of man should come to   
the ,ancient of ,days to receive a      
dominion which should not pass away1 and
 a kingdom which should not be          
destroyed8  ,had he not foretold that   
the greatness of the kingdoms under the 
whole heaven should be given to the     
saints of the ,most ,high8  ,surely1    
then1 all these anticipations were on   
the eve of fulfilment4  ,the            
long-expected ,messiah was at hand2 and 
here was the forerunner described by    
,isaiah1 the prophet1 saying3--    ,the 
voice of one crying in the wilderness1  
,make ye ready the way of the ,lord1    
,make his paths straight4   ,but some   
misgiving must have passed over the     
minds of his hearers when they heard the

 young prophet's description of the     
conditions and accompaniments of that   
long-looked-for reign4  ,instead of     
dilating on the material glory of the   
,messianic period1 far surpassing the   
magnificent splendour of ,solomon1 he   
insisted on the fulfilment of certain   
necessary preliminary requirements1     
which lifted the whole conception of the
 anticipated reign to a new level1 in   
which the inward and spiritual took     
precedence of the outward and material4 
,it was the old lesson1 which in every  
age requires repetition1 that unless a  
man is born again1 and from above1 he   
cannot see the kingdom of ,god4  ,be    
sure of this1 that no outward           
circumstances1 however propitious and   
favourable1 can bring about true        
blessedness4  ,we might be put into the 
midst of heaven itself1 and be poor1 and
 miserable1 and blind1 and naked1 unless
 the heart were in loving union with the
 ,lamb1 who is in the midst of the      
throne4  ,he is the light of that city1 

his countenance doth lighten it--from   
his throne the river of its pleasure    
flows1 his service is its delightful    
business2 and to be out of fellowship   
with ,him would make us out of harmony  
with its joy4  ,life must be centred in 
,christ if it is to be concentric with  
all the circles of heaven's bliss4  ,we 
can never be at rest or happy whilst we 
expect to find our fresh springs in     
outward circumstances4  ,it is only when
 we are right with ,god that we are     
blest and at rest4  ,righteousness is   
blessedness4 ,where the ,king is        
enthroned within the heart1 the soul is 
in the kingdom1 which is righteousness1 
and peace1 and joy in the ,holy ,ghost2 
nay1 perhaps more accurately1 that      
kingdom is in the soul4  ,and when all  
hearts are yielded to the ,king2 when   
all gates lift up their heads1 and all  
everlasting doors are unfolded for his  
entrance--then the curse which has so   
long brooded over the world shall be    
done away4  ,the whole creation groaneth

 and travaileth for the manifestation of
 the sons of ,god3 but when they are    
revealed in all their beauty1 then      
judgment shall dwell in the wilderness1 
and righteousness shall abide in the    
fruitful field1 and the work of         
righteousness shall be peace1 and the   
effect of righteousness quietness and   
confidence for ever2 and the mirage     
shall become a pool1 and the thirsty    
ground springs of water 7,isa4 xxxii4   
#ae1 #af2 xxxv4 #g1 ,r4,v474  7#b7      
,alongside the proclamation of the      
kingdom was the uncompromising          
insistence on the wrath to come4  ,john 
saw that the ,advent of the ,king would 
bring inevitable suffering to those who 
were living in self-indulgence and sin4 
,there would be careful discrimination4 
,he who was coming would carefully      
discern between the righteous and the   
wicked2 between those who served ,god   
and those who served ,him not3 and the  
preacher enforced his words by an image 
familiar to orientals4  ,when the wheat 

is reaped1 it is bound in sheaves and   
carted to the threshing-floor1 which is 
generally a circular spot of hard ground
 from fifty to one hundred feet in      
diameter4  ,on this the wheat is        
threshed from the chaff by manual       
labour1 but the two lie intermingled    
till the evening1 when the grain is     
caught up in broad shovels or fans1 and 
thrown against the evening breeze1 as it
 passes swiftly over the fevered land2  
thus the light chaff is borne away1     
while the wheat falls heavily to the    
earth4 ,likewise1 cried the ,baptist1   
there shall be a very careful process of
 discrimination1 before the unquenchable
 fires are lighted2 so that none but    
chaff shall be consigned to the         
flames--a prediction which was          
faithfully fulfilled4  ,at first ,christ
 drew all men to ,himself2 but1 as his  
ministry proceeded1 ,he revealed their  
quality4  ,a few were permanently       
attracted to ,him2 the majority were as 
definitely repelled4 ,there was no      

middle class4  ,men were either for or  
against ,him4  ,the sheep on this side2 
the goats on that4  ,the five wise      
virgins1 and the five foolish4  ,those  
who entered the strait gate1 and those  
who flocked down the broad way that     
leadeth to destruction4  ,so it has been
 in every age4  ,jesus ,christ is the   
touchstone of trial4  ,our attitude     
towards ,him reveals the true quality of
 the soul4  ,there would also be a      
period of probation4  ,the axe laid to  
the root of the trees is familiar enough
 to those who know anything of forestry4
  ,the woodman barks some tree which    
seems to him to be occupying space      
capable of being put to better use4     
,there is no undue haste4  ,it is only  
after severe and searching scrutiny that
 the word goes forth3 ,cut it down2 why 
cumbereth it the ground8  ,but when once
 that word is spoken1 there is no       
appeal4  ,the ,jewish people had become 
sadly unfruitful2 but a definite period 
was to intervene--three years of        

,christ's ministry and thirty years     
beside--before the threatened judgment  
befell4  ,all this while the axe lay    
ready for its final stroke2 but only    
when all hope of reformation was        
abandoned was it driven home1 and the   
nation crashed to its doom4  ,perhaps   
this may be the case with one of my     
readers4  ,you have been planted on a   
favourable site1 and have drunk in the  
dews and rain and sunshine of ,god's    
providence2 but what fruit have you     
yielded in return8  ,how have you repaid
 the heavenly ,husbandman8  ,may ,he not
 be considering whether any result will 
accrue from prolonging your             
opportunities for bearing fruit8  ,he   
has looked for grapes1 and lo1 you have 
brought forth only wild grapes2 ,he may 
well consider the advisability of       
removing you from the stewardship1 which
 you have used for your own emolument1  
and not for his glory4  ,for all such   
there must be wrath to come4  ,after    
there has been searching scrutiny and   

investigation1 and every reasonable     
chance has been given for amendment1 and
 still the soul is impenitent and       
disobedient1 there must be a certain    
fearful looking for of judgment and     
fiery indignation which shall devour the
 adversaries4  ,the fire of ,john's     
preaching had its primary fulfilment1   
probably1 in the awful disasters which  
befell the ,jewish people1 culminating  
in the siege and fall of ,jerusalem4    
,we know how marvellously the little    
handful of believers which had been     
gathered out by the preaching of ,christ
 and his disciples were accounted worthy
 to escape all those things that came to
 pass1 and to stand before the ,son of  
,man4  ,but the unbelieving mass of the 
,jewish people were discovered to be    
worthless chaff and unfruitful trees1   
and assigned to those terrible fires    
which have left a scar on ,palestine to 
this day4  ,but there was a deeper      
meaning4  ,the wrath of ,god avenges    
itself1 not on nations but on individual

 sinners4  ,he that believeth not the   
,son shall not see life1 but the wrath  
of ,god abideth on him4  ,the penalty of
 sin is inevitable4  ,the wages of sin  
is death4  ,the land which beareth      
thorns and thistles1 after having drunk 
of the rain which cometh often upon it1 
is rejected and nigh unto a curse1 its  
end is to be burned2 under the first    
covenant1 every transgression and       
disobedience received a just recompense 
of reward2 the man that set at nought   
,moses' law died without compassion1 on 
the word of two or three witnesses--of  
how much sorer punishment shall he be   
judged worthy who hath trodden under    
foot the ,son of ,god1 and hath counted 
the blood of the covenant a common      
thing1 and hath done despite to the     
,spirit of grace6  ,even if we grant1 as
 of course we must1 that many of the    
expressions referring to the ultimate   
fate of the ungodly are symbolical1 yet 
it must be granted also1 that they have 
counterparts in the realm of soul and   

spirit1 which are as terrible to endure1
 as the nature of the soul is more      
highly organized than that of the body4 
,fire to the body is easy to bear in    
comparison with certain forms of        
suffering to which the heart and soul   
are sometimes exposed even in this life4
  ,have we not sometimes said1 ,if      
physical suffering were concerned1 we   
could bear it2 but oh1 this pain which  
is gnawing at the heart--this awful     
inward agony1 which burns like fire6    
,and if we are capable of suffering so  
acutely from remorse and shame1 from    
ingratitude and misrepresentation1 in   
this life where there are so many       
distractions and temporary alleviations1
 what may not be the possibility of pain
 in that other life1 where there is no  
screen1 no covering1 no alleviation1 no 
cup of water to slake the thirst6       
,believe me1 when ,jesus said1 ,these   
shall go away into eternal punishment1  
,he contemplated a retribution so       
terrible1 that it were good for the     

sufferers if they had never been born4  
,all the great preachers have seen and  
faithfully borne witness to the fearful 
results of sin1 as they take effect in  
this life and the next4 ,these threw    
,brainerd into a dripping sweat1 whilst 
praying on a cool day for his ,indians  
in the woods2 these drew ,john ,welsh   
from his bed1 at all hours of the night1
 to plead for his people2 these inspired
 ,baxter to write his ,call to the      
,unconverted2 these drew ,henry ,martyn 
from his fellowship at ,cambridge to the
 burning plains of ,india2 these forced 
tears from ,whitefield as he preached to
 the crowding thousands2 these burn in  
the memorable sermon by ,jonathan       
,edwards on ,sinners in the hands of an 
angry ,god4  ,the notable revival which 
broke out at ,kirk o' ,shotts was due1  
under ,god1 to ,livingston              
congratulating the people that drops of 
rain alone were falling1 and not the    
fire of ,divine wrath4  ,the sermons of 
,ralph ,erskine1 of ,mc,cheyne and ,w4  

,c4 ,burns1 of ,brownlow ,northland     
,reginald ,radcliffe1 in the last       
generation1 were characterized by the   
same appeals4  ,though1 on the other    
hand1 because ,god is not confined to   
any one method1 the preaching of the    
late ,d4 ,l4 ,moody was specially       
steeped in the love of ,god4  ,it is for
 want of a vision of the inevitable fate
 of the godless and disobedient1 that   
much of our present-day preaching is so 
powerless and ephemeral4  ,you cannot   
get crops out of the land merely by     
summer showers and sunshine2 there must 
be the subsoil ploughing1 the           
pulverizing frost1 the wild ,march wind4
  ,and only when we modern preachers    
have seen sin as ,god sees it1 and begin
 to apply the divine standard to the    
human conscience2 only when our         
eagerness and yearning well over into   
our eyes and broken tones1 only when we 
know the terror of the ,lord1 and begin 
to persuade men as though we would pluck
 them out of the fire1 by our strenuous 

expostulation and entreaties--shall we  
see the effects that followed the       
preaching of the ,baptist when soldiers1
 publicans1 ,pharisees1 and scribes1    
crowded around him1 saying1 ,what shall 
we do8  ,all ,john's preaching1         
therefore1 led up to the demand for     
repentance4 ,the word which was oftenest
 on his lips was ,repent ye6  ,it was   
not enough to plead direct descent from 
,abraham1 or outward conformity with the
 ,levitical and ,temple rites4  ,god    
could raise up children to ,abraham from
 the stones of the river bank4  ,there  
must be the renunciation of sin1 the    
definite turning to ,god1 the bringing  
forth of fruit meet for an amended life4
  ,in no other way could the people be  
prepared for the coming of the ,lord4   
,,vi4  ,baptism unto ,repentance        
7,,mark ,i4 #d47    ,the last and       
greatest herald of heaven's ,king1      
,girt with rough skins1 hies to the     
desert wild2   ,among that savage brood 
the woods doth bring1     ,which he more

 harmless found than man1 and mild4     
,his food was locusts and what there    
doth spring1     ,with honey that from  
virgin hives distill'd1   ,parch'd body1
 hollow eyes1 some uncouth thing        
,made him appear1 long since from earth 
exiled4             ,w4 ,,drummond1 of  
,hawthornden4   ,repentance3 its        
,nature--,repentance3 how               
,produced--,repentance3 its             
,evidences--,repentance3 its            
,results--,john's ,baptism3 from ,heaven
   ,at the time of which we are         
speaking1 an extraordinary sect1 known  
as the ,essenes1 was scattered          
throughout ,palestine1 but had its      
special home in the oasis of ,engedi2   
and with the adherents of this community
 ,john must have been in frequent       
association4  ,they were the recluses or
 hermits of their age4  ,the aim of the 
,essenes was moral and ceremonial       
purity4  ,they sought after an ideal of 
holiness1 which they thought could not  
be realized in this world2 and          

therefore1 leaving villages and towns1  
they betook themselves to the dens and  
caves of the earth1 and gave themselves 
to continence1 abstinence1 fastings1 and
 prayers1 supporting themselves by some 
slight labours on the land4  ,those who 
have investigated their interesting     
history tell us that the cardinal point 
with them was faith in the inspired     
,word of ,god4  ,by meditation1 prayer1 
and mortification1 frequent ablutions1  
and strict attention to the laws of     
ceremonial purity1 they hoped to reach  
the highest stage of communion with     
,god4 ,they agreed with the ,pharisees  
in their extraordinary regard for the   
,sabbath4  ,their daily meal was of the 
simplest kind1 and partaken of in their 
house of religious assembly4  ,after    
bathing1 with prayer and exhortation    
they went1 with veiled faces1 to their  
dining-room1 as to a holy temple4  ,they
 abstained from oaths1 despised riches1 
manifested the greatest abhorrence of   
war and slavery1 faced torture and death

 with the utmost bravery1 refused the   
indulgence of pleasure4  ,it is clear   
that ,john was not a member of this holy
 community1 which differed widely from  
the ,pharisaism and ,sadduceeism of the 
time4  ,the ,essenes wore white robes1  
emblematic of the purity they sought2   
whilst he was content with his coat of  
camel's hair and leathern girdle4  ,they
 seasoned their bread with hyssop1 and  
he with honey4  ,they dwelt in          
brotherhoods and societies2 while he    
stood alone from the earliest days of   
his career4  ,but it cannot be doubted  
that he was in deep accord with much of 
the doctrine and practice of this sect4 
,john the ,baptist1 however1 cannot be  
accounted for by any of the pre-existing
 conditions of his time4  ,he stood     
alone in his ,god-given might4  ,that he
 was conscious of this appears from his 
own declaration when he said1 ,he that  
sent me to baptize in water1 ,he said   
unto me4 ,and that ,christ wished to    
convey the same impression is clear from

 his question to the ,pharisees3 ,the   
baptism of ,john1 was it from heaven or 
from men8  ,moreover1 the distinct      
assertion of the ,spirit of ,god1       
through the fourth ,evangelist1 informs 
us3 ,there came a man1 sent from ,god1  
whose name was ,john1 the same came for 
witness1 that all might believe through 
him4  ,the ,word of ,god came unto      
,john1 the son of ,zacharias1 in the    
wilderness4  ,and he came4   ,i4  ,,the 
,,summons ,,to ,,repent4--,john has a   
ministry with all men4  ,in other words1
 he represents a phase of teaching and  
influence through which we must needs   
pass if we are properly to discover and 
appreciate the grace of ,christ4  ,with 
us1 too1 a preparatory work has to be   
done4  ,there are mountains and hills of
 pride and self-will that have to be    
levelled2 crooked and devious ways that 
have to be straightened2 ruggednesses   
that have to be smoothed--before we can 
fully behold the glory of ,god in the   
face of ,jesus ,christ4  ,in proportion 

to the thoroughness and permanence of   
our repentance will be our glad         
realization of the fulness and glory of 
the ,lamb of ,god4  ,but we must guard  
ourselves here1 lest it be supposed that
 repentance is a species of good work   
which must be performed in order that we
 may merit the grace of ,christ4  ,it   
must be made equally clear1 that        
repentance must not be viewed apart from
 faith in the ,saviour1 which is an     
integral part of it4  ,it is also       
certain that1 though ,god commandeth all
 men everywhere to repent1 yet ,jesus is
 exalted to give repentance and the     
remission of sins4  ,repentance1        
according to the literal rendering of   
the ,greek word1 is a change of mind4   
,perhaps we should rather say1 it is a  
change in the attitude of the will4     
,the unrepentant soul chooses its own   
way and will1 regardless of the law of  
,god4  ,the mind of the flesh is enmity 
against ,god1 for it is not subject to  
the law of ,god1 neither1 indeed1 can it

 be2 and they that are in the flesh     
cannot please ,god4  ,but in repentance 
the soul changes its attitude4  ,it no  
longer refuses the yoke of ,god's will1 
like a restive heifer1 but yields to it1
 or is willing to yield4  ,there is a   
compunction1 a sense of the hollowness  
of all created things1 a relenting1 a   
wistful yearning after the true life1   
and ultimately a turning from darkness  
to light1 and from the power of ,satan  
unto ,god4  ,the habits may rebel2 the  
inclinations and emotions may shrink    
back2 the consciousness of peace and joy
 may yet be far away--but the will has  
made its secret decision1 and has begun 
to turn to ,god3 as1 in the revolution  
of the earth1 the place where we live   
reaches its furthest point from the     
sunlight1 passes it1 and begins slowly  
to return towards its warm smiles and   
embrace4  ,it cannot be too strongly    
emphasized that repentance is an act of 
the will4  ,in its beginning there may  
be no sense of gladness or              

reconciliation with ,god3 but just the  
consciousness that certain ways of life 
are wrong1 mistaken1 hurtful1 and       
grieving to ,god2 and the desire1 which 
becomes the determination1 to turn from 
them1 to seek ,him who formed the       
mountains and created the wind1 that    
maketh the morning darkness and treadeth
 upon the high places of the earth4     
,repentance may be accounted as the     
other side of faith4  ,they are the two 
sides of the same coin3 the two aspects 
of the same act4  ,if the act of the    
soul which brings it into right relation
 with ,god is described as a turning    
round1 to go in the reverse direction to
 that in which it had been travelling1  
then repentance stands for its desire   
and choice to turn from sin1 and faith  
for its desire and choice to turn to    
,god4  ,we must be willing to turn from 
sin and our own righteousness--that is  
repentance2 we must be willing to be    
saved by ,god1 in his own way1 and must 
come to ,him for that purpose--that is  

faith4  ,we need to turn from our own   
righteousnesses as well as from our     
sins4 ,augustine spoke of his efforts   
after righteousness as splendid sins2   
and ,paul distinctly disavows all those 
attempts to stand right with ,god which 
he made before he saw the face of the   
risen ,christ looking out from heaven   
upon his conscience-stricken spirit4    
,you must turn away from your own       
efforts to save yourself4  ,these are1  
in the words of the prophet1 but filthy 
rags4  ,nothing1 apart from the ,saviour
 and his work1 can avail the soul1 which
 must meet the scrutiny of eternal      
justice and purity4  ,repentance is     
produced sometimes and specially by the 
presentation of the claims of ,christ4  
,we suddenly awake to realize what ,he  
is1 how ,he loves1 how much we are      
missing1 the gross ingratitude with     
which we respond to his agony and bloody
 sweat1 his cross and suffering1 the    
beauty of his character1 the strength of
 his claims4  ,at other times repentance

 is wrought by the preaching of ,john   
the ,baptist4  ,then we hear of the axe 
laid at the root of the trees1 and the  
unquenchable fire for the consuming of  
the chaff3 and the heart trembles4      
,then we are led to the brink of the    
precipice1 and compelled to see the     
point at which the primrose-path we are 
travelling ends in the fatal abyss4     
,then our faith in our hereditary       
position and privilege is shattered by  
the iconoclasm of the preacher2 and we  
are levelled to the position of stones  
which are lapped by the ,jordan1 but are
 insensible to its touch4  ,it is at    
such a time as this that the soul sees  
the entire fabric of its vain           
confidences and hopes crumbling like a  
cloud-palace1 and turns from it all--as 
,mary from the sepulchre1 where her     
hopes lay entombed1 to find ,jesus      
standing with the resurrection glory on 
his face and radiant love in his eyes4  
,for purposes of clear thinking it is   
well to discriminate in our use of the  

words ,repentance and ,penitence1 using 
the former of the first act of the will1
 when1 energized and quickened by the   
,spirit of ,god1 it turns from dead     
works to serve the living and true ,god2
 and the latter1 of the emotions which  
are powerfully wrought upon1 as the     
years pass1 by the ,spirit's            
presentation of all the pain and grief  
which our sin has caused1 and is        
causing1 to our blessed ,lord4  ,we     
repent once1 but are penitents always4  
,we repent in the will2 we are penitent 
in the heart4  ,we repent1 and believe  
the ,gospel2 we believe the ,gospel of  
the ,son of ,man1 and as we look on     
,him1 whom our sins have pierced1 we    
mourn4  ,we repent when we obey his call
 to come unto ,him and live2 we are     
penitent as we stand behind ,him        
weeping1 and begin to wash his feet with
 our tears1 and to wipe them with the   
hair of our head4  ,if ,john the        
,baptist has never wrought his work in  
you1 be sure to open your heart to his  

piercing voice4  ,let him fulfil his    
ministry4  ,see that you do not reject  
the counsel of ,god1 as it proceeds from
 his lips2 but expose your soul to its  
searching scrutiny1 and allow it to have
 free and uninterrupted course4  ,he    
comes to prepare the way of the ,lord1  
and to make through the desert of our   
nature a highway for our ,god4  ,of     
course1 if1 from the earliest you have  
been under the nurture of pious parents1
 and your young heart turned to ,god in 
the early dawn of consciousness1 you    
will not pass through these experiences 
as those must who have spent years in   
the service of ,satan4  ,for these there
 is but one word--,repent6  ,they must1 
in a moment of time1 take up an entirely
 different attitude to ,god and         
holiness1 to ,christ and his salvation4 
,,ii4  ,,the ,,signs ,,and ,,symptoms   
,,of ,,repentance4--7#a7 ,confession4   
,they were baptized of him in the river 
,jordan1 confessing their sins4  ,what  
this precisely means it is not possible 

to say in detail2 but it is not         
improbable that beneath the strong      
pressure of inward remorse and          
bitterness of spirit1 men of notoriously
 bad life1 as well as those who had     
never abandoned themselves to the mad   
currents of temptation1 but were none   
the less conscious of heart and hidden  
sins1 stood up1 confessing and declaring
 their deeds1 as in a memorable scene   
long afterwards 7,acts xix4 #ag-bj74    
,the formalist confessed that the whited
 sepulchre of his religious observances 
had concealed a mass of putrefaction4   
,the sceptic confessed that his refusal 
of religion was largely due to his      
hatred of the demands of ,god's holy    
law4  ,the multitudes confessed that    
they had been selfish and sensual1      
shutting up their compassions1 and      
refusing clothing and food to the needy4
  ,the publican confessed that he had   
extorted by false accusation and        
oppression more than his due4  ,the     
soldier confessed that his profession   

had often served as the cloak for       
terrorizing the poor and vamping up     
worthless accusations4  ,the notoriously
 evil liver confessed that he had lain  
in wait for blood1 and destroyed the    
innocent and helpless for gain or hate4 
,the air was laden with the cries and   
sighs of the stricken multitudes1 who   
beheld their sin for the first time in  
the light of eternity and of its        
inevitable doom4  ,the lurid flames of  
the wrath to come cast their searching  
light on practices which1 in the        
comparative twilight of ignorance and   
neglect1 had passed without special     
notice4  ,upon that river's brink1 men  
not only confessed to ,god1 but probably
 also to one another4  ,life-long feuds 
were reconciled2 old quarrels were      
settled2 frank words of apology and     
forgiveness were exchanged2 hands       
grasped hands for the first time after  
years of alienation and strife4         
,confession is an essential sign of a   
genuine repentance1 and without it      

forgiveness is impossible4  ,he that    
covereth his transgressions shall not   
prosper2 but whoso confesseth and       
forsaketh them shall obtain mercy4  ,if 
we confess our sins1 ,he is faithful and
 just to forgive us our sins1 and to    
cleanse us from all unrighteousness4    
,so long as we keep silence1 our bones  
wax old through our inward anguish2 we  
are burnt by the fire of slow fever2 we 
toss restlessly1 though on a couch of   
down4  ,but on confession there is      
immediate relief4  ,i said1 ,i will     
confess my transgressions unto the      
,lord1 and ,thou forgavest me the       
iniquity of my sin4  ,confess your sin  
to ,god1 ,o troubled soul1 from whom the
 vision of ,christ is veiled4  ,it is   
more than likely that some undetected or
 unconfessed sin is shutting out the    
rays of the true sun4  ,excuse nothing1 
extenuate nothing1 omit nothing4  ,do   
not speak of mistakes of judgment1 but  
of lapses of heart and will4  ,do not be
 content with a general confession2 be  

particular and specific4  ,drag each    
evil thing forth before ,god's judgment 
bar2 let the secrets be exposed1 and the
 dark1 sad story told4  ,begin at the   
beginning1 and go steadily through4     
,only be very careful to leave no trace 
of your experiences for human eyes or   
ears4  ,to tell this story to another   
will rob it of its value to yourself and
 its acceptableness to ,god4  ,it is    
enough for ,god to know it2 and to tell 
,him all is to receive at once his      
assurance of forgiveness1 for the sake  
of ,him who loved us and gave ,himself a
 propitiation for our sins2 and not for 
ours only1 but for those of the whole   
world4  ,directly the confession leaves 
our heart1 nay1 whilst it is in process1
 the ,divine voice is heard assuring us 
that our sins1 which are many1 are put  
away as far as the east is from the     
west1 and cast into the depths of the   
sea4  ,but such confession should not be
 made to ,god alone1 when sins are in   
question which have injured and         

alienated others4  ,if our brother has  
aught against us1 we must find him out1 
while our gift is left unpresented at   
the altar1 and first be reconciled to   
him4  ,we must write the letter1 or     
speak the word2 we must make honourable 
reparation and amends2 we must not be   
behind the sinners under the old law1   
who were bidden to add a fifth part to  
the loss their brother had sustained    
through their wrong-doing1 when they    
made it good4  ,the only sin we are     
justified in confessing to our brother  
man is that we have committed against   
him4  ,all else must be told in the ear 
of ,jesus1 that great ,high ,priest1    
whose confessional is always open1 and  
whose pure ear can receive our dark and 
sad stories without taint or soil4  7#b7
 ,fruit worthy of ,repentance4  ,bring  
forth1 therefore1 fruit worthy of       
repentance1 said ,john1 with some       
indignation1 as he saw many of the      
,pharisees and ,sadducees coming to his 
baptism4  ,he insisted that practical   

and vital religion was not a rule1 but a
 life2 not outward ritual1 but a        
principle2 not works1 but fruit3 and he 
demanded that the genuineness of        
repentance should be attested by        
appropriate fruit4  ,do men gather      
grapes of thorns1 and figs of thistles8 
,probably that demand of the ,baptist   
accounted for the alteration in his life
 of which ,zaccheus made confession to  
,christ1 when ,he became his guest4     
,the rich publican lived at ,jericho1   
near which ,john was baptizing1 and he  
was probably amongst the publicans who  
were attracted to his ministry4  ,how   
well we can imagine the comments that   
would be passed on his presence1 as each
 nudged his neighbour and whispered4 ,is
 not that ,zaccheus8 said one4  ,what is
 he doing here8 said another4  ,it is   
about time he came to himself1 muttered 
a third4 ,i wish the ,baptist could do  
something for him1 said a fourth4  ,and 
something touched that hardened heart4  
,a great hope and a great resolve sprang

 up in it4  ,he may have joined in the  
confessions of which we have spoken1 but
 he did more4  ,on his arrival at       
,jericho he was a new man4  ,he gave the
 half of his goods to feed the poor2 and
 if he had wrongfully exacted aught of  
any man1 he restored four-fold4  ,his   
servant was often seen in the lowest and
 poorest parts of the old city1 hunting 
up cases of urgent distress1 and        
bestowing anonymous alms1 and many a    
poor man was delighted to find a        
considerable sum of money thrust into   
his hands1 with a scrap of paper signed 
by the rich tax-gatherer1 saying1 ,i    
took so much from you1 years ago1 to    
which ,i had no claim2 kindly find it   
enclosed1 with fourfold as amends4      
,should any ask him the reason for it   
all1 he would answer1 ,ah1 ,i have been 
down to the ,jordan and heard the       
,baptist2 ,i believe the ,kingdom is    
coming1 and the ,king is at hand2 and ,i
 want to make ready for ,him1 so that1  
when ,he comes1 ,he may be able to abide

 at my house4  ,you will never get right
 with ,god till you are right with man4 
,it is not enough to confess            
wrong-doing2 you must be prepared to    
make amends so far as lies in your      
power4  ,sin is not a light thing1 and  
it must be dealt with1 root and branch4 
7#c7 ,the baptism of repentance4  ,they 
were baptized 444 confessing their sins4
  ,the cleansing property of water has  
given it a religious significance from  
most remote antiquity  ,men have        
conceived of sin as a foul stain upon   
the heart1 and have couched their       
petitions for its removal in words      
derived from its use3 ,purge me with    
hyssop1 and ,i shall be clean4  ,wash   
me1 and ,i shall be whiter than snow4   
,they have longed to feel that as the   
body was delivered from pollution1 so   
the soul was freed from stain4  ,in some
 cases this thought has assumed a gross 
and material form2 and men have         
attributed to the water of certain      
rivers1 such as the ,ganges1 the ,nile1 

the ,abana1 the mysterious power of     
cleansing away sin4  ,there was no trace
 of this1 however1 in ,john's teaching4 
,it was not baptism unto remission1 but 
unto repentance4  ,it was the expression
 and symbol of the soul's desire and    
intention1 so far as it knew1 to confess
 and renounce its sins1 as the necessary
 condition of obtaining the ,divine     
forgiveness4  ,it is not necessary to   
discuss the much-vexed question of the  
source from which the ,baptist derived  
his baptism--some say it was from the   
habits of the ,essenes1 or the practice 
of the ,rabbis1 who subjected to this   
rite all proselytes to ,judaism from the
 ,gentile world4  ,it is enough for us  
to remember that he was sent to baptize2
 that the idea of his baptism was from  
heaven2 and that in his hands the rite  
assumed altogether novel and important  
functions4  ,it meant death and burial  
as far as the past was concerned2 and   
resurrection to a new and better future4
  ,forgetting and dying to the things   

that were behind1 the soul was urged to 
realize the meaning of this symbolic    
act1 and to press on and up to better   
things before2 assured as it did so that
 ,god had accepted its confession and   
choice1 and was waiting to receive it   
graciously and love it freely4  ,it is  
easy to see how all this appealed to the
 people1 and specially touched the      
hearts of young men4  ,at that time1 by 
the blue waters of the ,lake of         
,galilee1 there was a handful of ardent 
youths1 deeply stirred by the currents  
of thought around them1 who resented the
 ,roman sway1 and were on the tip-toe of
 expectation for the coming ,kingdom4   
,how they spoke together1 as they       
floated at night in their fisherman's   
yawl over the dark waters of the ,lake  
of ,galilee1 about ,god's ancient       
covenant1 and the advent of the         
,messiah1 and the corruptions of their  
beloved ,temple service6  ,and when1 one
 day1 tidings reached them of this      
strange new preacher1 they left all and 

streamed with all the world beside to   
the ,jordan valley1 and stood fascinated
 by the spell of his words4  ,one by    
one1 or all together1 they made         
themselves known to him1 and became his 
loyal friends and disciples4  ,we are   
familiar with the names of one or two of
 them1 who afterwards left their earlier
 master to follow ,christ2 but of the   
rest we know nothing1 save that he      
taught them to fast and pray1 and that  
they clung to their great teacher1 until
 they bore his headless body to the     
grave4  ,after his death they joined    
themselves with ,him whom they had once 
regarded with some suspicion as his     
rival and supplanter4  ,how much this   
meant to ,john6  ,he had never had a    
friend2 and to have the allegiance and  
love of these noble1 ingenuous youths   
must have been very grateful to his     
soul4  ,but from them all he repeatedly 
turned his gaze1 as though he were      
looking for some one who must presently 
emerge from the crowd2 and the sound of 

whose voice would give him the deepest  
and richest fulfilment of his joy1      
because it would be the voice of the    
,bridegroom ,himself4     ,,vii4  ,the  
,manifestation of the ,messiah  7,,john 
,i4 #ca47      ,before me1 as in        
darkening glass1     ,some glorious     
outlines pass1   ,of love1 and truth1   
and holiness1 and power--     ,i own    
them thine1 ,o ,christ1     ,and bless  
,thee in this hour4             ,f4 ,r4 
,,havergal4   ,the ,herald's            
,proclamation--,the ,meeting of ,john   
and ,jesus--,christ's ,baptism--,it     
,becometh ,us4--,my ,beloved ,son4      
,john's life1 at this period1 was an    
extraordinary one4  ,by day he preached 
to the teeming crowds1 or baptized them2
 by night he would sleep in some slight 
booth1 or darksome cave4  ,but the      
conviction grew always stronger in his  
soul1 that the ,messiah was near to     
come2 and this conviction became a      
revelation4  ,the ,holy ,spirit who     
filled him1 taught him4  ,he began to   

see the outlines of his ,person and     
work4  ,as he thought upon ,him1 beneath
 the gracious teaching of ,him who had  
sent him to baptize 7,john i4 #cc71 the 
dim characteristics of his glorious     
personality glimmered out on the        
sensitive plate of his inner            
consciousness1 and he could even        
describe ,him to others1 as well as     
delineate ,him for himself4  ,he        
conceived of the coming ,king1 as we    
have seen1 as the ,woodman1 laying his  
axe at the root of the trees2 as the    
,husbandman1 fan in hand to winnow the  
threshing-floor2 as the ,baptist1       
prepared to plunge all faithful souls in
 his cleansing fires2 as the ,ancient of
 ,days1 who1 though coming after him in 
order of time1 must be preferred before 
him in order of precedence1 because ,he 
was before him in the eternal glory of  
his ,being 7,john i4 #ae-cj74  ,it was  
this vision of the ,sun before the      
sunrise1 as he viewed it from the high  
peak of his own noble character1 that   

induced in the herald his conspicuous   
and beautiful humility4  ,he insisted   
that he was not worthy to perform the   
most menial service for ,him whose      
advent he announced4  ,i am content1 he 
said in effect1 to be a voice1 raised   
for a moment to proclaim the ,king1 and 
soon dying on the desert air1 whilst the
 person of the crier is unnoticed and   
unsought for2 but ,i may not presume to 
unloose the latchet of his shoes4444    
,there cometh after me ,he that is      
mightier than ,i1 the latchet of whose  
shoes ,i am not worthy to stoop down and
 unloose4  ,john was not only humble in 
his self-estimate1 but also in his      
modest appreciation of the results of   
his work4  ,it was only transient and   
preparatory4  ,it was given him to do2  
but it would soon be done4  ,his course 
was a short one1 and it would soon be   
fulfilled 7,acts xiii4 #be74 ,his simple
 mission was to bid the people to       
believe on ,him who should come after   
him 7xix4 #d47 ,he was the morning star 

ushering in the day1 but destined to    
fade in the glory of ruddy dawn1        
flooding the eastern sky4  ,but our     
impression of the sublime humility of   
this great soul will become deeper1 as  
we consider that marvellous scene in    
which he first recognised the divine    
mission and claims of his ,kinsman1     
,jesus of ,nazareth4  ,consider the     
meeting between the ,sun and the star1  
and take it as indicating an experience 
which must always supervene on the      
cleansed and holy soul1 which desires   
and prepares for it4   ,i4  ,,our       
,,lord',s ,,advent ,,to ,,the ,,jordan  
,,bank4--,for thirty years the ,son of  
,man had been about his ,father's       
business in the ordinary routine of a   
village carpenter's life4  ,he had found
 scope enough there for his marvellously
 rich and deep nature2 reminding us of  
the philosopher's garden1 which1 though 
only a dingy court in a crowded city1   
reached through to the other side of the
 world on the one hand1 and up to the   

heaven of ,god on the other4  ,often ,he
 must have felt the strong attraction of
 the great world of men1 which ,he      
loved2 and the wild winds1 as they      
careered over his village home1 must    
have often borne to ,him the wail of    
broken hearts1 asking ,him to hasten to 
their relief4 ,on his ear must have     
struck the voices of ,jairuses pleading 
for their only daughters2 of sisters    
interceding for their ,lazaruses2 of    
halt and lame and blind entreating that 
,he would come and heal them4  ,but ,he 
waited still1 his eye on the dial-plate 
of the clock1 till the time was         
fulfilled which had been fixed in the   
,eternal ,council ,chamber4  ,as soon1  
however1 as the rumours of the          
,baptist's ministry reached ,him1 and   
,he knew that the porter had taken up   
his position at the door of the         
sheepfold1 ready to admit the true      
,shepherd 7,john x4 #c71 ,he could      
hesitate no longer4  ,the ,shechinah    
cloud was gathering up its fleecy folds1

 and poising itself above ,him1 and     
moving slowly towards the scene of the  
,baptist's ministry2 and ,he had no     
alternative but to follow4  ,he must    
tear ,himself away from ,nazareth1 home1
 and mother1 and take the road which    
would end at ,calvary4  ,then cometh    
,jesus from ,galilee to the ,jordan unto
 ,john1 to be baptized of him4          
,tradition locates the scene of ,john's 
baptism as near ,jericho1 where the     
water is shallow and the river opens out
 into large lagoons4  ,but some1        
inferring that ,nazareth was within a   
day's journey of this notable spot1     
place it nearer the southern end of the 
,lake of ,galilee4  ,it may have been in
 the late afternoon when ,jesus arrived4
  ,an expression made use of by the     
evangelist ,luke might seem to suggest  
that all the people had been baptized   
for that day at least 7,luke iii4 #ba72 
so that perhaps the crowds had          
dispersed1 and the great prophet was    
alone with one or two of those young    

disciples of whom we have spoken4  ,or1 
,jesus may have arrived when the ,jordan
 banks were alive with the eager        
multitudes4  ,but1 in either case1 a    
sudden and remarkable change passed over
 the ,baptist's face as he beheld his   
,kinsman standing there4  ,picture that 
remarkable scene4  ,the arrowy stream1  
rushing down from the ,lake of ,galilee 
to the ,dead ,sea2 the rugged banks2 the
 shadowy forests2 the erect1 sinewy form
 of the ,baptist2 and ,jesus of         
,nazareth1 as depicted by the olden     
traditions1 with auburn hair1 searching 
blue eye1 strong1 sweet face1 and all   
the beauty of his young manhood4  ,at   
the sight of ,him1 note how the high    
look on the ,baptist's face lowers2 how 
his figure stoops in involuntary        
obeisance2 how the voice that was wont  
to ring out its messages in accents of  
uncompromising decision falters and     
trembles6  ,john said1 ,i knew ,him not 
7,john i4 #ca72 but this need not be    
interpreted as indicating that he had no

 acquaintance whatever with his         
blameless relative4  ,such may have been
 the case1 of course1 since ,john's life
 had been spent apart from the haunts of
 men4  ,it is more natural to suppose   
that the cousins had often met1 as boys 
and afterwards4  ,but the ,baptist had  
never realized that ,jesus was the      
,messiah whose advent he was sent to    
announce4  ,he had not recognised his   
high descent and claims4  ,it had never 
occurred to him that this simple village
 ,carpenter1 so closely related to      
himself1 whose course of life was       
apparently so absolutely ordinary and   
commonplace1 could be ,he of whom ,moses
 in the ,law and the ,prophets did      
write4  ,in this sense ,john could truly
 say1 ,i knew ,him not4  ,but ,john knew
 enough of ,him to be aware of his      
guileless1 blameless life4  ,the story  
of his tender love for ,mary2 of his    
devotion to the interests of his        
brothers and sisters2 of his undefiled  
purity1 of his long vigils on the       

mountains till the morning called ,him  
back to his toils2 of his deep          
acquaintance with ,scripture2 of his    
speech about the ,father--had reached   
the ,baptist's ears4  ,he had come to   
entertain the profoundest respect       
amounting to veneration for his         
,kinsman2 and1 as ,he presented ,himself
 for baptism1 ,john felt that there was 
a whole heaven of difference between    
,him and all others4  ,these publicans  
and sinners1 these ,pharisees and       
scribes1 these soldiers and common      
people--had every need to repent1       
confess1 and be forgiven2 but there was 
surely no such need for ,him1 who had   
been always1 and by general             
acknowledgment1 holy1 harmless1         
undefiled1 and separate from sinners4   
,i have need1 said he1 to be baptized of
 ,thee1 and comest ,thou to me8 7,matt4 
iii4 #ad74  ,there may have been1       
besides1 an indescribable presentiment  
that stole over that lofty nature--like 
that knowledge of good men and bad which

 is often given to noble women4  ,he    
knew men2 his eagle eye had searched    
their hearts1 as he had heard them      
confess their sins2 and at a glance he  
could tell what was in them4  ,a        
connoisseur of souls was he4  ,among all
 the pearls that had passed through his 
hands--some goodly ones among them--none
 had seemed so rare and pure as this2 it
 was a pearl of great price1 for which a
 man might be prepared to part with all 
he possessed1 if only to obtain it4     
,there was an indefinable majesty1 a    
moral glory1 a tender grace1 an         
ineffable attractiveness in this ,man1  
which was immediately appreciated by the
 greatest of woman-born1 because of his 
own intrinsic nobility and greatness of 
soul4  ,it needed a ,baptist to         
recognise the ,christ4  ,he who had     
never quailed before monarch or people1 
directly he came in contact with        
,christ1 cast the crown of his manhood  
at his feet1 and shrank away4  ,the     
eagle that had soared unhindered in     

mid-heaven seemed transfixed by a sudden
 dart1 and fell suddenly1 with a        
strange1 low cry1 at the feet of its    
,creator4  ,i have need to be baptized  
of ,thee1 and comest ,thou to me8       
,,ii4  ,,the ,,significance ,,of        
,,christ',s ,,baptism4--,suffer it to be
 so now3 for thus it becometh us to     
fulfil all righteousness--with such     
words our ,lord overruled the objections
 of his loyal and faithful ,forerunner4 
,this is the first recorded utterance of
 ,christ1 after a silence of more than  
twenty years2 the first also of his     
public ministry3 it demands our passing 
notice4  ,he does not say1 ,i have need 
to be baptized of thee2 nor does ,he    
say1 ,thou hast no need to be baptized  
of ,me4  ,he does not stay to explain   
why the greater should be baptized by   
the less3 or why a rite which confessed 
sin was required for one who was        
absolutely sinless4  ,it is enough to   
appeal to the ,baptist as his associate 
in a joint necessary act1 becoming to   

them both as part of the ,divine        
procedure1 and therefore claiming their 
common obedience4 ,thus it becometh us  
7you and me7 to fulfil all              
righteousness4  ,in his baptism1 our    
,lord acknowledged the divine authority 
of the ,forerunner4  ,as the last and   
greatest of the prophets1 who was to    
close the ,old ,testament era1 for the  
law and the prophets prophesied until   
,john2 as the representative of ,elijah 
the prophet1 before the great and       
notable day of the ,lord could come2 as 
the porter of the ,jewish fold--,john   
occupied a unique position1 and it was  
out of deference to his appointment by  
the ,father1 and as an acknowledgment of
 his office1 that ,jesus sought baptism 
at his hands4  ,john's baptism1         
moreover1 was the inauguration of the   
,kingdom of ,heaven4  ,in it the        
material made way for the spiritual4    
,the old system1 which gave special     
privileges to the children of ,abraham1 
was in the act of passing away1         

confessing that ,god could raise up     
children to ,abraham from the stones at 
the water's edge2 and demanding that    
those who would enter the ,kingdom must 
be born from above1 of water and of the 
,spirit4  ,it was the outward and       
visible sign that ,judaism was          
unavailing for the deepest needs of the 
spirit of man1 and that a new and more  
spiritual system was about to take its  
place1 and ,christ said1 in effect1 ,i1 
too1 though ,king1 obey the law of the  
,kingdom1 and bow my head1 that1 by the 
same sign as the smallest of my         
subjects1 ,i may pass forward to my     
throne4  ,there was probably a deeper   
reason still4  ,that ,jordan water1     
flowing downwards to the ,dead ,sea1 was
 symbolical4  ,in the purity of its     
origin1 amid the snows of ,hermon1 and  
in the beauty of its earlier course1 it 
was an emblem of man's original         
constitution1 when the ,creator made him
 in ,his own image and pronounced him   
very good2 but in these sullied and     

troubled waters hurrying on to the ,sea 
of ,death--waters in which thousands of 
sinners had confessed their sins1 with  
tears and sighs--how apt an emblem was  
there of the history of our race1       
contaminated by the evil that is in the 
world through lust1 and meriting the    
wages of sin--death6  ,with that race1  
in its sin and degradation1 our ,lord   
now formally identified ,himself4  ,his 
baptism was his formal identification   
with our fallen and sinful race1 though 
,he knew no sin for ,himself1 and could 
challenge the minutest inspection of his
 enemies3 ,which of you convinceth ,me  
of sin8  ,was ,he baptized because ,he  
needed to repent1 or to confess his     
sins8 ,nay1 verily6  ,he was as pure as 
the bosom of ,god1 from which ,he came2 
as pure as the fire that shone above    
them in the orb of day2 as pure as the  
snows on ,mount ,hermon1 rearing itself 
like a vision of clouds on the horizon3 
but ,he needed to be made sin1 that we  
might be made the righteousness of ,god 

in ,him4  ,when the paschal lamb had    
been chosen by the head of a ,jewish    
household1 it was customary to take it1 
three days before it would be offered1  
to the priest1 to have it sealed with   
the ,temple seal2 so our ,lord1 three   
years before his death1 must be set     
apart and sealed by the direct act of   
the ,holy ,spirit1 through the mediation
 of ,john the ,baptist4  ,him hath ,god 
the ,father sealed4  ,it becometh us--,i
 like that word1 becometh4  ,if the     
,divine ,lord thought so much about what
 was becoming1 surely we may4  ,it      
should not be a question with us1 merely
 as to what may be forbidden or harmful1
 what may or may not be practised and   
permitted by our fellow-,christians1 or 
even whether there are distinct         
prohibitions in the ,bible that bar the 
way--but if a certain course is         
becoming4  ,need ,i pass through that   
rite8  ,it is becoming4  ,need ,i       
perform that lowly act8 ,it is becoming4
  ,need ,i renounce my liberty of action

 in that respect8  ,it would be very    
becoming4  ,and whenever some hesitant  
soul1 timid and nervous to the last     
degree1 dares to step out1 and do what  
it believes to be the right thing       
because it is becoming1 ,jesus comes to 
it1 enlinks his arm1 and says1 ,thou art
 not alone in this4  ,thou and ,i stand 
together here4  ,it becomes us to fill  
up to its full measure all              
righteousness4  ,ah1 soul1 thou shalt   
never step forth on a difficult and     
untrodden path without hearing his      
footfall behind thee1 and becoming aware
 that in every act of righteousness     
,christ identifies ,himself1 saying1    
,thus it becometh us to fulfil all      
righteousness4  ,a friend suggests that 
the ,lord ,jesus was here referring to  
the sublime prophecy of ,daniel ix4 #bd4
  ,that ,he might make an end of sin and
 bring in everlasting righteousness1 it 
was essential that the ,lamb of ,god    
should confess the sins of the people as
 his own 7see ,psa4 lxix4 #e74 ,this was

 his first step on his journey to the   
,cross1 every step of which was in      
fulfilment of all righteousness1 in     
order that ,he might bring in           
everlasting righteousness4  ,then he    
suffered ,him4  ,some things we have to 
do for ,christ1 and some to bear for    
,him4  ,active virtues are great2 but   
the passive ones are rarer and cost     
more1 especially for strong natures like
 the ,baptist's4  ,but1 in all our human
 life1 there is nothing more attractive 
than when a strong man yields to        
another1 accepts a deeper interpretation
 of duty than he had perceived1 and is  
prepared to set aside his strong        
convictions of propriety before the     
tender pleadings of a still1 soft voice4
  ,yield to ,christ1 dear heart4        
,suffer ,him to have his way4  ,take his
 yoke1 and be meek and lowly of         
heart--so shalt thou find rest4   ,,iii4
  ,,the ,,designation ,,of ,,the        
,,messiah4--,it is not to be supposed   
that the designation of ,jesus as the   

,christ was given to any but ,john4  ,it
 was apparently a private sign given to 
him1 as the ,forerunner and ,herald1    
through which he might be               
authoritatively informed as to the      
identity of the ,messiah4  ,to say      
nothing of the impossibility of ordinary
 and unanointed eyes beholding the      
descent of the ,holy ,spirit1 ,john's   
own statements seem to point clearly in 
this direction4  ,he says1 ,i knew ,him 
not 7i4e41 as ,son of ,god71 but ,he    
that sent me to baptize with water1 ,he 
said unto me1 ',upon whomsoever thou    
shalt see the ,spirit descending1 and   
abiding upon ,him1 the same is ,he that 
baptizeth with the ,holy ,spirit4'  ,and
 ,i have seen1 and have borne witness   
that this is the ,son of ,god 7,john i4 
#cb-cd74  ,the same thought appears from
 putting a perfectly legitimate         
construction on the words of the first  
evangelist3 ,lo1 the heavens were opened
 unto him 7i4e41 the ,baptist71 and he  
saw the ,spirit of ,god descending as a 

dove1 and coming upon ,him 7,matt4 iii4 
#af74  ,what a theophany was here6  ,as 
the ,man of ,nazareth emerged from the  
water1 the sign for which ,john had been
 eagerly waiting and looking was        
granted4  ,he had believed he would see 
it1 but had never thought to see it     
granted to one so near akin to himself4 
,we never expect the great ,god to come 
to us6  ,and the exclamation1 ,lo1      
indicates his startled surprise4  ,he   
saw far away into the blue vault1 which 
had opened into depth after depth of    
golden glory4  ,the vail was rent to    
admit of the coming forth of the ,divine
 ,spirit1 who seemed to descend in      
visible shape--as a dove might1 with    
gentle1 fluttering motion--and to alight
 on the head of the ,holy ,one1 who     
stood there fresh from his baptism4 ,the
 stress of the narrator1 as he told the 
story afterwards1 was that the ,spirit  
not only came1 but abode4  ,here was the
 miracle of miracles1 that ,he should be
 willing to abide in any human temple1  

who for so many ages had wandered       
restlessly over the deluge of human sin1
 seeking a resting-place1 but finding   
none4  ,here1 at least1 was an ark into 
which this second ,noah might pull in   
the fluttering dove1 unable to feed1    
like the raven1 on corruption and death4
  ,the voice of ,god from heaven        
proclaimed that ,jesus of ,nazareth was 
his beloved ,son1 in whom ,he was well  
pleased2 and the ,baptist could have no 
further doubt that the ,desire of all   
,nations1 the ,lord whom his people     
sought1 the ,messenger of the ,covenant1
 had suddenly come to his temple to act 
as a refiner's fire and as fullers'     
soap4  ,john bare witness1 saying1 ,i   
have beheld the ,spirit descending as a 
dove out of heaven2 and it abode upon   
,him4  ,john beareth witness of ,him and
 crieth 7,john i4 #ae1 #cb74  ,how much 
that designation meant to ,christ6  ,it 
was his ,pentecost1 his consecration and
 dedication to his life-work2 from      
thenceforth1 in a new and special sense1

 the ,spirit of the ,lord was upon ,him1
 and ,he was anointed to preach4  ,but  
it was still more to the ,baptist4  ,he 
knew that his mission was nearly        
fulfilled1 that his office was ended4   
,he had opened the gate to the true     
,shepherd1 and must now soon consign to 
,him all charge of the flock4  ,jesus   
must increase1 while he decreased4 ,he  
that was from heaven was above all2 as  
for himself1 he was of the earth1 and   
spake of the earth4  ,the ,sun had      
risen1 and the day-star began to wane4  
,,viii4  ,not that ,light1 but a        
,witness4  7,john ,i4 #h47    ,nothing  
resting in its own completeness     ,can
 have worth or beauty2 but alone        
,because it leads and tends to farther  
sweetness1     ,fuller1 higher1 deeper  
than its own4    ,spring's real glory   
dwells not in the meaning1     ,gracious
 though it be1 of her blue hours2   ,but
 is hidden in her tender leaning     ,to
 the summer's richer wealth of flowers4 
,a4 ,a4 ,,proctor4   ,resentment of the 

,sanhedrim--,the ,baptist's             
,credentials--,spiritual                
,vision--,behold the ,lamb of ,god--,the
 ,baptism of the ,spirit   ,the baptism 
and revelation of ,christ had a         
marvellous effect on the ministry of the
 ,forerunner4  ,previous to that        
memorable day1 the burden of his        
teaching had been in the direction of   
repentance and confession of sin4  ,but 
afterwards1 the whole force of his      
testimony was towards the person and    
glory of the ,shepherd of ,israel4  ,he 
understood that for the remainder of his
 brief ministry1 which perhaps did not  
greatly exceed six months1 he must bend 
all his strength to announcing to the   
people the prerogatives and claims of   
,him who stood amongst them1 though they
 knew ,him not4  ,there came a man1 sent
 from ,god1 whose name was ,john4  ,the 
same came for witness1 that he might    
bear witness of the ,light1 that all    
might believe through him4  ,he was not 
the ,light1 but came that he might bear 

witness of the ,light4  ,our subject1   
therefore1 naturally divides itself into
 two divisions3 ,john's admissions about
 himself1 and his testimony to the      
,lord4  ,and it is interesting to notice
 that they were given on three          
successive days1 as appears from the    
twofold use of the phrase1 ,on the      
morrow4  ,on the morrow 7i4e41 after he 
had met and answered the deputation from
 the ,sanhedrim71 he seeth ,jesus coming
 unto him444 7i4 #bi74  ,again1 on the  
morrow ,john was standing1 and two of   
his disciples444 7#ce74  ,these events  
took place at ,bethany1 or ,bethabara1  
on the eastern bank of the ,jordan4     
,the river there is one hundred feet in 
width1 and1 except in flood1 some five  
to seven feet deep4  ,it lies in a      
tropical valley1 the verdure of which is
 in striking contrast to the desolation 
which reigns around4   ,i4  ,,the       
,,baptist',s ,,admissions ,,about       
,,himself4--,when the fourth ,evangelist
 uses the word ,jews1 he invariably     

means the ,sanhedrim4  ,john had become 
so famous1 and his influence so         
commanding1 that he could not be ignored
 by the religious leaders of the time4  
,in their hearts they derided him1 and  
desired to do with him whatsoever they  
listed4  ,his preaching of repentance1  
and his unmeasured denunciation of      
themselves as a brood of vipers1 were   
not to be borne4  ,but they forbore to  
meet him in the open field1 and resolved
 to send a deputation1 which might      
extract some admission from his lips    
that would furnish them with ground for 
subsequent action4  ,the ,jews sent unto
 him from ,jerusalem priests and        
,levites to ask him1 ',who art thou8'   
444 ',why baptizest thou8'  ,the first  
question was universally interesting2   
the second specially so to the ,pharisee
 party1 who were the high ritualists of 
their day1 and who were reluctant that a
 new rite1 which they had not           
sanctioned1 should be added to the      
,jewish ecclesiastical system4  ,it is a

 striking scene4  ,the rushing river2   
the tropical gorge2 the dense crowds of 
people standing thick together2 the     
,baptist in his sinewy strength and     
uncouth attire1 surrounded by the little
 group of disciples2 while through the  
throng a deputation of grey-beards1 the 
representatives of a decadent religion1 
makes its difficult way--these are the  
principal features of a memorable       
incident4  ,there was a profound        
silence1 and men craned their necks and 
strained their ears to see and hear     
everything1 as the deputation challenged
 the prophet with the inquiry1 ,who art 
thou8  ,there was a great silence4 ,men 
were prepared to believe anything of the
 eloquent young preacher4 ,the people   
were in expectation1 and all men        
reasoned in their hearts concerning     
,john1 whether haply he were the ,christ
 7,luke iii4 #ae74  ,if he had given the
 least encouragement to their dreams and
 hopes1 they would have unfurled again  
the tattered banner of the ,maccabees2  

and beneath his leadership would have   
swept1 like a wild hurricane1 against   
the ,roman occupation1 gaining1 perhaps1
 a momentary success1 which afterwards  
would have been wiped out in blood4     
,and he confessed1 and denied not2 and  
he confessed1 ,i am not the ,christ4    
,if a murmur of voices burst out in     
anger1 disappointment1 and chagrin1 as  
this answer spread from lip to lip1 it  
was immediately hushed by the second    
inquiry propounded1 ,what then8  ,art   
thou ,elijah8 7alluding to the          
prediction of ,malachi iv4 #e74  ,if    
they had worded their question rather   
differently1 and put it thus1 ,hast thou
 come in the power of ,elias8 ,john must
 have acknowledged that it was so2 but  
if they meant to inquire if he were     
literally ,elijah returned again to this
 world1 he had no alternative but to    
say1 decisively and laconically1 ,i am  
not4  ,there was a third arrow in their 
quiver1 since the other two had missed  
the mark3 and amid the deepening        

attention of the listening multitudes1  
and in allusion to ,moses' prediction   
that ,god would raise up a ,prophet like
 to himself 7,deut4 xviii4 #ae2 ,acts   
iii4 #bb2 vii4 #cg71 they said1 ,art    
thou the ,prophet8 and he answered1 ,no4
  ,the deputation was nonplussed4  ,they
 had exhausted their repertory of       
questions4  ,their mission threatened to
 become abortive1 unless they could     
extract some positive admission4  ,they 
must put a leading question2 and their  
spokesman1 for the fourth time1         
challenged the strange being1 whom they 
found it so hard to label and place on  
any shelf of their ecclesiastical       
museum4  ,they said therefore unto him1 
',who art thou8--that we may give an    
answer to them that sent us4'  ,what    
sayest thou of thyself8  ,he said1 ',i  
am the voice of one crying in the       
wilderness1 ,make straight the way of   
the ,lord1 as said ,isaiah the prophet4'
  ,how infinitely noble6  ,how          
characteristic of strength6  ,a weak man

 would have launched himself on the     
flowing tide of enthusiasm1 and allowed 
himself to be swept away by its         
impetuous rush4  ,what a mingling of    
strength and humility6  ,when men       
suggested that he was the ,christ1 he   
insisted that he was only a voice--the  
voice of the herald1 whom men hardly    
notice1 because they strain their eyes  
in the direction from which he has come1
 to behold the ,king ,himself4  ,when   
they complimented him on his teaching1  
he told them that ,he who would winnow  
the wheat from the chaff was yet to     
appear4  ,and when they crowded to his  
baptism1 he reiterated that it was only 
the baptism of negation1 of water1 but  
the ,christ would baptize with the ,holy
 ,ghost and with fire4  ,why was this8  
,ah1 he knew his limitations6  ,he was  
the greatest-born of woman1 yet he knew 
that his bosom was not broad enough1 nor
 his heart tender enough1 to justify him
 in bidding all weary and heavy-laden   
ones to come to him for rest2 he could  

not say that he and ,god were one1 and  
include himself with the ,deity1 in the 
majestic pronoun1 we2 he never dared to 
ask men to believe in himself as they   
believed in the ,father3 but there came 
after him ,one who dared to say all     
these things2 and this is the inevitable
 conclusion1 that either ,jesus was     
inferior to ,john in all that goes to   
make a strong and noble character1 or   
that ,jesus was all that ,john said ,he 
was1 ,the ,son of ,god1 and ,king of    
,israel4  ,there is no third suggestion 
possible4  ,we must either estimate     
,jesus as immeasurably inferior1 or     
incomparably superior1 to the strong1   
sane1 ,spirit-filled prophet1 who never 
wearied in declaring the impassable     
chasm that yawned between them4  ,such  
humility always accompanies a true      
vision of ,christ4  ,if we view it from 
the low ground1 the mountain may appear 
to reach into the sky2 but when we reach
 the mountain-top1 we are immediately   
aware of the infinite distance between  

the highest snow-peak and the nearest   
star4 ,to the crowds ,john may have     
seemed to fulfil all the essential      
conditions of the prophetic portraiture 
of the ,messiah2 but he stood on the    
mountain1 and knew how infinitely the   
,christ stood above him4 ,this is       
apparent in his reply to the final      
inquiry of the ,sanhedrim1 ,and they    
asked him1 and said unto him1 ',why1    
then1 baptizest thou1 if thou art not   
the ,christ1 neither ,elijah1 neither   
the ,prophet8'  ,and ,john said in      
effect1 ,i baptize because ,i was sent  
to baptize1 and ,i know very well that  
my work in this respect is temporary and
 transient2 but what matters that8  ,in 
the midst of you standeth ,one whom ye  
know not1 even ,he that cometh after me1
 the latchet of whose shoe ,i am not    
worthy to unloose4  ,the ,christ is     
come4  ,have not ,i seen ,him1 standing 
amid your crowds1 yea1 descending these 
very banks8  ,the people must have      
turned one to another1 as he spoke4     

,what6  ,had the ,messiah come6  ,it    
could hardly be4  ,there had been no    
prodigies in earth or sky worthy of his 
advent4  ,how could ,he be amongst them1
 and they unaware6  ,but it was even so1
 and it is so still4  ,the ,christ is in
 us1 and with us still4  ,there may be  
no transcendent symptoms of his blessed 
presence1 as ,he stands in the little   
groups of two and three gathered in his 
name2 but the eye of faith detects ,him4
  ,where others see only the bare cliffs
 of ,patmos1 or the mines with their    
gangs of convicts1 the anointed gaze    
beholds a face brighter than the sun1   
the purged ear catches the accents of a 
voice like the murmur of waters on the  
still night air4  ,remember how ,he     
said1 ,he that loveth ,me shall be loved
 of my ,father2 and ,i will love him1   
and will manifest ,myself to him4  ,as  
the ,holy ,spirit revealed ,him to      
,john1 so ,he will reveal ,him to us1 if
 only1 like ,john1 we will be content   
with nothing less1 and wait expectant   

with the heart on the outlook for the   
manifestation of the ,son of ,god2 for  
so ,he promised1 saying1 ,he shall take 
of mine1 and shall declare it unto you4 
,and when the child of faith speaks     
thus1 with the accent of conviction1 of 
what he has seen1 and tasted1 and       
handled1 of the ,word of life1 it is not
 strange that the children of this      
world1 whose eyes are blinded1 begin to 
question and deride4  ,what is there to 
be seen that they cannot see8  ,what    
heard that they cannot detect8  ,ah1 the
 natural man receiveth not the things of
 the ,spirit of ,god1 for they are      
foolishness unto him1 neither can he    
know them1 because they are spiritually 
discerned4  ,there standeth ,one among  
you1 said the ,baptist1 whom ye know    
not4   ,,ii4  ,,the ,,baptist',s        
,,witness ,,to ,,the ,,lord4--,six weeks
 passed by from that memorable vision of
 the opened heaven and the descending   
,spirit1 and ,john had eagerly scanned  
every comer to the river-bank to see    

again that divinely beautiful face4     
,but in vain3 for ,jesus was in the     
wilderness1 being tempted of the devil1 
for forty days and nights1 the companion
 of wild beasts1 and exposed to a very  
hurricane of temptation4  ,at the end of
 the six weeks1 the interview with the  
deputation from the ,sanhedrim took     
place1 which we have already described2 
and on the day after1 when his          
confession of inferiority was still     
fresh in the minds of his hearers1 when 
some were criticising and others        
pitying1 when symptoms that the autumn  
of his influence had set in were in the 
air1 his eye flashed1 his face lit up1  
and he cried1 saying3 ,this is ,he of   
whom ,i said1 ',after me cometh a man   
who is become before me1 for ,he was    
before me4'  ,behold the ,lamb of ,god1 
which taketh away the sin of the world4 
,did all eyes turn towards the ,christ8 
,was there a ripple of interest and     
expectancy through the crowd8  ,did any 
realize the unearthly beauty and        

spiritual power of his presence8  ,we   
know not4  ,scripture is silent1 only   
telling us that on the following day1   
when1 with two disciples1 he looked on  
,jesus as ,he walked1 and repeated his  
affirmation1 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god1 
those two disciples followed ,him1 never
 to return to their old master--who knew
 it must be so1 and was content to      
decrease if only ,he might increase4    
,let us notice the successive           
revelations which were made to ,john1   
and through him to ,israel1 who1 you    
remember1 held him1 as they had every   
warrant for doing1 to be in the deepest 
sense a prophet of the ,lord4 ,this     
conviction has been definitely endorsed 
by succeeding ages1 which have classed  
him as one of the six greatest men that 
ever left their mark on the world4  7#a7
 ,he rightly conceived of ,christ's     
pre-existence4  ,he was before me 7,john
 i4 #cj74  ,the phrase resembles        
,christ's own words1 when ,he said3     
,before ,abraham was1 ,i am4  ,in       

,john's case it developed soon after    
into another and kindred expression3 ,he
 that cometh from above1 is above all   
7,john iii4 #ca74  ,with such words the 
,baptist taught his disciples4  ,he     
insisted that ,jesus of ,nazareth had an
 existence anterior to ,nazareth1 and   
previous to his birth of the village    
maiden4 ,he recognised that his goings  
had been of old1 even from everlasting1 
that ,he was the mighty ,god1 the       
,father of the ,ages1 and the ,prince of
 ,peace4  ,as for himself1 he was of the
 earth1 and of the earth he spoke2 as   
for this ,one1 ,he came from above1 and 
was above all4  ,it is not surprising1  
therefore1 that one of his disciples1   
catching his ,master's spirit1 wrote3   
,in the beginning was the ,word1 and the
 ,word was with ,god1 and the ,word was 
,god4  ,the same was in the beginning   
with ,god4 ,all things were made by     
,him4  7#b7 ,he rightly apprehended the 
sacrificial aspect of ,christ's work4   
,behold the ,lamb of ,god1 which taketh 

away the sin of the world4  ,was it that
 his priestly lineage gave ,him a       
special right to coin and use this      
appellation8  ,it was1 without doubt1   
breathed into his heart by the ,holy    
,spirit2 but his whole previous         
training1 as the son of a priest1 fitted
 him to receive and transmit it4  ,an   
attempt has been made to limit the      
meaning of these words to the personal  
character of ,jesus1 his purity1 and    
gentleness2 but1 to the ,jews who       
listened1 the latter part of his        
exclamation could have but one          
significance4  ,they would at once      
connect with his words1 those of the    
,law1 the ,prophets1 and the ,psalms4   
,the goat shall bear upon him all their 
iniquities unto a solitary land4  ,he   
bare the sin of many4  ,he is led as a  
lamb to the slaughter4  ,from the slopes
 of ,mount ,moriah1 a young voice has   
expressed the longing of the ages1      
,behold the fire and the wood2 but where
 is the lamb8  ,this has been the cry of

 the human heart in all generations4    
,from the days of ,abel men have brought
 the firstlings of their flocks1 laying 
them on the altar1 and consuming them   
with fire2 but there was always a sense 
of failure and insufficiency4  ,through 
the ages1 and in every clime1 priest    
after priest offered the lamb upon the  
altar1 but by the very fact of continual
 repetition1 bore witness to the        
insufficiency of its propitiation4      
,every priest1 indeed1 is the comment of
 inspiration1 standeth day by day       
ministering and offering oftentimes the 
same sacrifices1 the which can never    
take away sins4 ,must not the hearts of 
hundreds of saintly priests have been   
filled with the same inquiry1 ,where is 
the lamb8  ,as the prophets understood  
more clearly the nature of ,god's       
dealing with man--as1 for instance1     
,micah saw that even the offering of the
 first-born could never atone for the   
sin of the soul--may we not suppose that
 from their lips also the same inquiry  

was elicited1 ,where is the lamb8       
,nature cannot answer that cry4  ,she is
 fascinating1 especially when she       
dimples with the smile of spring1 and   
unveils her face in summer to receive   
the caresses of the sun4  ,but with all 
her beauty and fascination she cannot   
answer the entreaty of the conscience   
that the penalty of sin may be removed1 
its power broken1 so that man may walk  
with ,god with a fearless heart4        
,animals at the best are only symbols of
 the complete solution to the           
ever-recurring problem of human sin3    
thus from all the ages goes forth the   
cry1 ,where is the lamb8  ,then from his
 heaven ,god sends forth his ,son to be 
the sufficient answer to the universal  
appeal3 and the heaven-sent messenger1  
from his rocky pulpit1 as he sees ,jesus
 coming to him1 cries1 ,behold the ,lamb
 of ,god1 which taketh away the sin of  
the world4  ,dear soul1 thou mayest     
venture on ,him4  ,he is ,god's ,lamb2  
on ,him the sin of our race has been    

laid1 and ,he stood before ,god with the
 accumulated load--made sin2 the        
iniquity of us all was laid upon ,him2  
wounded for our transgressions2 bruised 
for our iniquities2 chastised for our   
peace2 stricken for our transgression2  
bearing the sin of many4 ,as the first  
,adam brought sin on the race1 the      
second ,adam has put it away by the     
sacrifice of ,himself4  ,men are lost   
now1 not because of ,adam's sin1 nor    
because they were born into a race of   
sinners1 but for the sin which they     
presumptuously and wilfully commit1 or  
because by unbelief they contract       
themselves out of the benefits of       
,christ's death4  ,the servant who had  
been forgiven by his king1 but took his 
brother by the throat1 brought back upon
 himself the full penalty from which the
 royal warrant had freed him2 and if any
 one of us cling to sin1 rejecting and  
trampling under foot the ,saviour's work
 on our behalf1 we cancel so far all    
those benefits of our ,saviour's passion

 which otherwise would accrue1 and bring
 back upon ourselves the penalties from 
which ,he would fain have delivered us4 
7#c7 ,he understood the baptism of the  
,holy ,spirit4  ,the same is ,he that   
baptizeth with the ,holy ,spirit4  ,as  
,son of ,god1 our ,saviour from all     
eternity was one with the ,holy ,spirit 
in the mystery of the blessed ,trinity2 
but as the one ,man1 ,he received in his
 human nature the fulness of the ,divine
 ,spirit4  ,it pleased the ,father that 
in ,him should all the fulness of the   
,godhead dwell1 that ,he might be able  
to communicate ,him to all the sons of  
men who were united to ,him by a living 
faith4  ,thus it fell that ,he was able 
to assure his disciples that if they    
waited in ,jerusalem for the promise of 
the ,father1 as ,john baptized with     
water1 they should be baptized with the 
,holy ,spirit 7,acts i4 #d1 #e74  ,the  
term baptism1 as applied to the ,holy   
,spirit1 had better be confined to those
 marvellous manifestations of spiritual 

power which are recorded in ,acts ii41  
viii41 x41 xix41 whilst the word filling
 should be used of those experiences of 
the indwelling and anointing of the     
,divine ,spirit which are within the    
reach of us all4  ,still1 we may all    
adopt the words of the ,baptist1 and    
tell our living ,head that we have need 
to be baptized of ,him--need to be      
plunged into the fiery baptism2 need to 
be searched by the stinging flame2 need 
to be cleansed from dross and impurity2 
need to be caught in the transfiguring1 
heaven-leaping energy of the ,holy      
,spirit1 borne upon his bosom into the  
rare atmosphere where the seven lamps   
burn always before the throne of ,god4  
,the blood of the ,lamb and the fire of 
the ,holy ,spirit are thus inextricably 
united4  7#d7 ,he beheld the mystery of 
the ,holy ,trinity4  ,for the first time
 this was made manifest to man4  ,on the
 one hand there was the ,father speaking
 from heaven2 on the other the ,spirit  
descending as a dove--and between them  

was the ,son of ,man who was proclaimed 
to be the ,son of ,god1 the beloved     
,son4  ,surely ,john might say that     
flesh and blood had not revealed these  
things1 but they had been made known to 
him by a divine revelation4  ,the       
doctrine of the ,holy ,trinity is a     
profound mystery1 hidden from the       
intellect1 but revealed to the humble   
and reverent heart2 hidden from the wise
 and prudent1 and revealed to babes4    
,welcome ,jesus ,christ as ,john did2   
and1 as to ,john1 so the whole wonder of
 the ,godhead will be made known to thy 
heart4  ,thou wilt hear the ,father     
bearing witness to his ,son2 thou wilt  
see how clearly the ,son reveals the    
,father1 and achieves redemption2 thou  
shalt know what it is to stand beneath  
the open heaven and behold and          
participate in the ,divine anointing4   
,of what good is it to reason about the 
,trinity if thou hast no spiritual      
appetite for the gifts of the ,trinity8 
,but if this is thine1 and thou openest 

thine heart1 thou wilt receive the gift 
and understand the doctrine4  7#e7 ,he  
appreciated the ,divine ,sonship of     
,christ4  ,i have seen and have borne   
witness that this is the ,son of ,god4  
,this witness counts for much4  ,john   
knew men1 knew himself1 knew ,christ4   
,he would not have said so much unless  
he had been profoundly convinced2 and he
 would not have been profoundly         
convinced unless irrefragable evidence  
had been presented to him4  ,what       
though1 when on the following day he    
repeats his exclamation1 his whole      
congregation leaves him to follow the   
,man of ,nazareth to his home8  ,the    
heart of the ,forerunner is satisfied1  
for he has heard the ,bridegroom's      
voice4  ,the ,son of ,god has come1 and 
has given him an understanding that he  
might know ,him that is true4     ,,ix4 
,we must increase1 but ,i must decrease4
  7,,john ,,iii4 #cj47    ,where is the 
lore the ,baptist taught1     ,the soul 
unswerving and the fearless tongue8     

,the much-enduring wisdom1 sought       
,by lonely prayer the haunted rocks     
among8         ,who counts it gain      
,his light would wane1     ,so the whole
 world to ,jesus throng8                
,,keble4   ,the ,moral ,greatness of the
 ,baptist--,thoughts on                 
,envy--,christian ,consecration--,the   
,baptist's ,creed--,the ,voice of the   
,beloved   ,from the ,jordan ,valley our
 ,lord returned to ,galilee and         
,nazareth4  ,the marriage feast of      
,cana1 his return to ,jerusalem1 the    
cleansing of the ,temple1 and the       
interview with ,nicodemus1 followed in  
rapid succession4 ,and when the crowds  
of ,passover pilgrims were dispersing   
homewards1 ,he also left the city with  
his disciples1 and began a missionary   
tour throughout the land of ,judaea4    
,this tour is not much dwelt upon in    
,scripture4  ,we only catch a glimpse of
 it here in the #bbnd verse1 and again  
in the address of the apostle ,peter to 
,cornelius1 where he speaks of ,christ  

preaching good tidings of peace         
throughout all ,judaea 7,acts x4 #cf1   
#cg74  ,how long it lasted we cannot    
tell2 but it must have occupied some    
months1 for ,he tarried from time to    
time at different points4  ,it is not   
likely that our ,lord unfolded his      
,messianic character1 or taught with the
 same clearness as in after days4  ,for 
the most part1 ,he would adopt the cry  
of the ,baptist4  ,of the commencement  
of his ministry it is recorded3 ,jesus  
came1 444 preaching the ,gospel of ,god1
 and saying1 ',the time is fulfilled1   
and the ,kingdom of ,god is at hand3    
repent ye1 and believe in the ,gospel'  
7,mark i4 #ad1 #ae74  ,but his deeds    
declared his royalty4  ,wherever ,he    
went ,he was welcomed with vast         
enthusiasm4  ,the scenes which had      
occurred a few months before to         
inaugurate the ,baptist's ministry were 
re-enacted4  ,the progress of the       
heaven-sent ,teacher 7,john iii4 #b7 was
 accompanied by immense throngs of      

people1 who1 wearied with the tiresome  
exactions of ,pharisee and scribe1      
turned with eagerness to the humanness  
and holiness of the ,true ,shepherd4    
,it is said that cattle1 sick and       
harried with the voyage across the      
,atlantic1 will show signs of revival as
 they sniff the first land breezes laden
 with the breath of the clover fields4  
,during all this time the ,baptist was  
continuing his preparatory work in the  
,jordan ,valley1 though now driven by   
persecution to leave the western bank   
for ,aenon and ,salim on the eastern    
side1 where a handful of followers still
 clung to him4  ,john was not yet cast  
into prison1 but the shadow of his      
impending fate was already gathering    
over him2 and so he was baptizing in    
,aenon1 near to ,salim1 where the       
,jordan sweeps out into broad sheets of 
water1 eminently suitable for his       
purpose4  ,thither they came and were   
baptized4  ,the morning star lingers in 
the same heavens with the sun1 whom it  

has announced2 but its lustre has paled1
 and its glories are shorn4  ,it would  
appear from the ,r4,v4 7ver4 #be7 that a
 ,jew1 probably an emissary of the      
,sanhedrim1 brought tidings to that     
little circle of true-hearted disciples 
of the work that ,jesus was doing in    
,judaea1 and drew them into a discussion
 as to the comparative value of the two 
baptisms4  ,it was acknowledged that    
,jesus did not1 with his own hands1     
perform the rite of baptism1 probably   
for reasons afterwards cited by his     
great apostle 7iv4 #b2 compare #a ,cor4 
i4 #ad-ag73 but it would be administered
 by his disciples1 at his direction1 and
 with his countenance1 and therefore it 
could be reported to the ,baptist by his
 disciples1 who came to him with eyes   
flashing with indignation1 and faces    
heated with the excitement of the       
discussion3 ,rabbi1 ,he that was with   
thee beyond ,jordan1 to whom thou hast  
borne witness1 the same baptizeth1 and  
all men come to ,him 7ver4 #bf74  ,it   

was as though they said1 ,master1 is it 
not too bad8  ,see how thy generous     
testimony has been requited6  ,in the   
day of thy glory thou wert too profuse  
in thy acknowledgments1 too prodigal in 
thy testimonials4  ,now this new        
,teacher has taken a leaf out of thy    
programme2 ,he too is preaching1        
baptizing1 and gathering a school of    
disciples4  ,but there was no tinder in 
that noble breast which these jealous   
sparks could kindle4  ,nothing but love 
dwelt there4  ,he had been plunged into 
the baptism of a holy love1 which had   
burnt out the selfishness and jealousy1 
which were as natural to him as to us   
all4 ,it was as when a spark falls into 
an ocean and is instantly extinguished4 
,thus his reply will ever rank among the
 greatest utterances of mortal man4     
,the ,lord said that of those born of   
woman none was greater than ,john2 and1 
if by nothing else1 by these words his  
moral stature and superlative excellence
 were vindicated4  ,he seemed great when

 his voice rang like a clarion through  
,palestine1 attracting and thrilling the
 mighty throngs2 great1 when he dared to
 tell ,herod that it was unlawful for   
him to have his brother's wife1 uttering
 words which those palace walls must    
have been startled to hear2 great1 when 
he baptized ,him for whom the world was 
waiting1 and who was declared to be the 
,son of ,god with power2 but he never   
seemed so great as when he refused to   
enter into those acrimonious            
altercations and discussions1 and said  
simply1 ,a man can receive nothing1     
except it be given him from heaven4     
,i4  ,,john ,,counted ,,influence ,,and 
,,position ,,as ,,divine ,,gifts4--,what
 startling differences obtain among     
men--,peter and ,john1 ,calvin and      
,melancthon1 ,john ,knox and ,samuel    
,rutherford1 ,kingsley and ,keble6      
,each of these has left his imprint on  
human history2 each so needful to do his
 own special work1 but each so diverse  
from all others4  ,we are sometimes     

tempted to attribute their special      
powers and success to their             
circumstances1 their times1 their       
parents and teachers2 but there is a    
deeper and more satisfactory            
explanation4  ,adopting the words of the
 ,forerunner1 we may say--,they had     
nothing that they had not received from 
heaven1 by the direct appointment and   
decree of ,god4  ,it was thus that the  
,baptist reasoned3 ,whatever success and
 blessing ,i had are due to the         
appointment of ,him who sent me to      
preach his ,gospel and announce the     
advent of his ,son4  ,every man has his 
work and sphere appointed him of ,god4  
,if this new ,teacher meet with such    
success1 we have no right to be jealous 
of ,him1 lest we sin against ,god1 who  
has made ,him what ,he is4  ,and if we  
have not the same crowds as once1 let us
 be content to take this1 too1 as the   
appointment of ,heaven1 glad to do      
whatever is assigned to us1 and to leave
 all results with ,god4  ,this is a     

golden sentence1 indeed6--,a man can    
receive nothing1 except it be given him 
from heaven4  ,hast thou great success  
in thy life-work8  ,do crowds gather    
around thy steps and throng thy         
audience-chamber8  ,do not attribute    
them to thyself4  ,they are all the     
gifts of ,god's grace4  ,he raiseth up  
one and setteth down another4 ,thou hast
 nothing that thou hast not received2   
and if thou hast received it1 see to it 
that thou exercise perpetually the      
faculty of receptiveness1 so that thou  
mayest receive more and more1 grace on  
grace4  ,the river in its flow should   
hollow out the channel-bed through which
 it flows4  ,be thankful1 but never     
vain4  ,he who gave may take4 ,great    
talents bestowed imply great            
responsibility in the day of reckoning4 
,be not high-minded1 but fear4  ,much   
success can only be enjoyed without     
injury to the inner life by being       
considered as the dear gift of ,christ1 
to be used for ,him4  ,hast thou but one

 talent1 and little success8--yet this  
is as ,god has willed it4  ,he might    
have given more had ,he willed it so2 be
 thankful that ,he has given any4  ,use 
what thou hast4  ,the five barley loaves
 and two small fishes will so increase1 
as they are distributed1 that they will 
supply the want of thousands4  ,do not  
dare to envy one more successful and    
used than thyself1 lest thou be         
convicted of murmuring against the      
appointment of thy ,lord4  ,here1 too1  
is the cure of jealousy1 which more than
 anything else blights the soul of the  
servant of ,god4  ,to an older minister1
 who has passed the zenith of his       
popularity and power1 it is often a     
severe trial to see younger men stepping
 into positions which he once held and  
has been compelled to renounce4  ,he is 
mightily tempted to disparage their     
power1 and condemn them by faint praise2
 or1 if he praise1 to add one biting    
comment which undoes the generosity and 
frankness of the eulogium4  ,why should 

this younger man1 who was not born when 
his own ministry was at full tide1 now  
carry all before him1 while the waves   
are quietly withdrawing from the margin 
of seaweed they once cast up6  ,thoughts
 like these corrode and canker the soul2
 and there is no arrest to them1 unless1
 by a definite effort of the            
,spirit-energised will1 the soul turns  
to ,god with the words3 ,a man can      
receive nothing1 except it be given him 
from heaven4  ,i had my glad hours of   
meridian glory1 and have still the      
mellow light of a summer sunset4  ,it   
was ,god's gift to me1 as rest is now2  
and ,i will rejoice that ,he raises up  
others to do his work4  ,i will rejoice 
that the ,kingdom is coming1 that       
,christ is satisfied1 that men are being
 saved2 this shall be my joy1 and it    
shall be fulfilled4  ,how much misery1  
heart-burning1 and disappointment would 
be saved if1 at the beginning of life1  
each of us inquired seriously what that 
special work in the world might be to   

which he was called1 and for which he is
 fitted4  ,then1 instead of being poor  
imitations1 we might be good originals4 
,instead of spending our time in going  
off on side issues1 we might bend all   
our strength to the main purpose of our 
existence4  ,god has meant each of us   
for something2 incarnating in us one of 
his own great thoughts1 and equipping us
 with all material that is necessary for
 its realization4  ,we may probably     
discover its meaning by the             
peculiarities of our mental endowments  
or the advice of friends2 by the        
necessity of our circumstances or the   
prompting of the ,holy ,spirit4         
,otherwise we must be content to go on  
making each day according to the pattern
 shown us--not as a whole1 but in       
detail--sure that some day each bit and 
scrap1 each vail and hanging1 will find 
its place1 and the tabernacle of our    
life stand complete4  ,every name is    
historic in ,god's estimate4  ,the      
obscurest among us has his place in the 

,divine plan1 his lesson to learn1 his  
work to do4  ,the century opening before
 us can no more dispense with us than an
 orchestra with the piccolo4  ,a pawn on
 ,god's chessboard may take a knight1 or
 give check to a king4  ,we are his     
workmanship1 created in ,christ ,jesus  
unto good works which ,god has before   
prepared 7,r4,v471 that we should walk  
in them 7,eph4 ii4 #aj74   ,,ii4  ,,john
 ,,caught ,,sight ,,of ,a ,,fuller ,,and
 ,,richer ,,ideal ,,than ,,his          
,,own4--,tidings had1 without doubt1    
been brought to him of our ,lord's first
 miracle in ,cana of ,galilee4  ,we know
 that it had made a great impression on 
the little group of ardent souls1 who   
had been called to share the village    
festivities with their newly-found      
,master2 and we know that some of them  
were still deeply attached to their old 
friend and leader4  ,from these he would
 learn the full details of that         
remarkable inauguration of this         
long-expected ministry4  ,how startled  

he must have been at the first hearing6 
,he had announced the ,husbandman with  
his fan to thoroughly winnow his floor2 
the ,baptist with his fire2 the ,lamb of
 ,god1 holy1 harmless1 and separate from
 sinners4  ,but the ,messiah opens his  
ministry among men by mingling with the 
simple villagers in their wedding joy1  
and actually ministers to their innocent
 mirth1 as ,he turns the water into     
wine6  ,the ,son of ,man has come eating
 and drinking6  ,what a contrast was    
here to the austerity of the desert1 the
 coarse raiment1 the hard fare6  ,john  
the ,baptist came neither eating nor    
drinking4  ,could this be ,he8  ,and yet
 there was no doubt that the heaven had 
been opened above ,him1 that the ,dove  
had descended1 and that ,god's voice had
 declared ,him to be the ,beloved ,son4 
,but what a contrast to all that he had 
looked for6  ,further reflection1       
however1 on that incident1 in which     
,jesus manifested forth his glory1 and  
the cleansing of the ,temple which      

immediately followed1 must have         
convinced the ,baptist that this        
conception of holiness was the true one4
  ,his own type could never be universal
 or popular4  ,it was not to be expected
 that the mass of men could be spared   
from the ordinary demands of daily life 
to spend their days in the wilderness as
 he had done2 and it would not have been
 for their well-being1 or that of the   
world1 if his practice had become the   
rule4  ,it would have been a practical  
admission that ordinary life was common 
and unclean2 and that there was no      
possibility of infusing it with the high
 principles of the ,kingdom of ,heaven4 
,consecration to ,god would have become 
synonymous with the exclusion of wife   
and child1 of home and business1 of     
music and poetry1 from the soul of the  
saint2 whereas its true conception      
demands that nothing which ,god has     
created can be accounted common or      
unclean1 but all may be included within 
the encircling precincts of the         

,redeemer's ,kingdom4  ,the motto of    
,christian consecration is1 therefore1  
given in that remarkable assertion of   
the apostle2 ,every creature of ,god is 
good1 and nothing is to be rejected1 if 
it be received with thanksgiving3 for it
 is sanctified through the ,word of ,god
 and prayer 7#a ,tim4 iv4 #d1 #e74      
,john saw1 beneath the illuminating ray 
of the ,holy ,spirit1 that this was the 
,divine ,ideal2 that the ,redeemer could
 not contradict the ,creator2 that the  
,kingdom was consistent with the home2  
and the presence of the ,king with the  
caress of woman and the laughter of the 
child1 and the innocent mirth of the    
village feast4  ,this he saw1 and cried 
in effect3 ,that village scene is the   
key to the ,messiah's ministry to       
,israel4  ,he is not only ,guest at a   
bridegroom's table1 but the ,bridegroom 
,himself4  ,he has come to woo and win  
the chosen race4 ,of old they were      
called ,hephzibah and ,beulah2 and now  
those ancient words come back to mind   

with newly-minted meaning1 with the     
scent of spring4  ,our land1 long       
bereaved and desolate1 is to be married4
  ,joy1 joy to her6  ,the ,bridegroom is
 here4  ,he that hath the bride is the  
,bridegroom4  ,as for me1 ,i am the     
,bridegroom's friend1 sent to negotiate 
the match1 privileged to know and bring 
together the two parties in the blessed 
nuptials--blessed with the unspeakable  
gladness of hearing the ,bridegroom's   
manly speech4  ,do you tell me that ,he 
is preaching1 and that all come to ,him8
  ,that is what ,i have wanted most of  
all4  ,this my joy1 therefore1 is       
fulfilled4  ',he must increase1 but ,i  
must decrease4'   ,,iii4  ,,john ,,had  
,,enlarged ,,perception ,,of ,,the      
,,true ,,nature ,,of ,,christ4--,it has 
been questioned whether the paragraph   
which follows 7,john iii4 #ca-cf7 was   
spoken by the ,baptist1 or is the       
comment of the ,evangelist4 ,with many  
eminent commentators1 ,i incline        
strongly to the former view4 ,the       

phraseology employed in this paragraph  
is closely similar to the words         
addressed by ,christ to ,nicodemus1 and 
often used by ,himself1 as in ,john v42 
and they may well have filtered through 
to the ,baptist1 by the lips of ,andrew1
 ,peter1 and ,john1 who would often     
retail to their venerated earliest      
teacher what they heard from ,jesus4    
,consider1 then1 the ,baptist's creed at
 this point of his career4  ,he believed
 in the heavenly origin and divinity of 
the ,son of ,man--that ,he was from     
heaven and above all4  ,he believed in  
the unique and divine source of his     
teaching--that ,he did not communicate  
what ,he had learnt at second-hand1 but 
stood forth as one speaking what ,he    
knows1 and testifying what ,he has      
seen--,for ,he whom ,god has sent1      
speaketh the words of ,god4  ,he        
believed in his copious enduement with  
the ,holy ,spirit4  ,knowing that human 
teachers1 at the best1 could only       
receive the ,spirit in a limited degree1

 he recognised that when ,god anointed  
,jesus of ,nazareth with the ,holy      
,spirit there was no limit1 no measuring
 metre1 no stint4  ,it was copious1     
rich1 unmeasured--so much so that it ran
 down from his head1 as ,hermon's dews  
descend to the lonely heights of ,zion4 
,he believed in his near relationship to
 ,god1 using the well-known ,jewish     
phrase of sonship to describe his       
possession of the ,divine nature in a   
unique sense1 and recalling the         
utterance of the hour of baptism1 to    
give weight to his assurance that the   
,father loved ,him as ,son4  ,lastly1   
,he believed in the mediatorial function
 of the ,man of ,nazareth--that the     
,father had already given all things    
into his hand2 and that the day was     
coming when ,he would sit on the throne 
of ,david1 yea1 on the mediatorial      
throne itself1 ,king of kings1 and ,lord
 of lords1 the keys of ,death and       
,hades1 of the realms of invisible      
existence and spiritual power1 hanging  

at his girdle4  ,to that creed the      
,baptist added a testimony1 which has   
been the means of light and blessing to 
myriads4  ,being dead1 he yet has spoken
 through the ages1 assuring us that to  
believe on ,jesus is to have1 as a      
present fact1 eternal life1 the life    
which fills the ,being of ,god and      
defies time and change4  ,faith is the  
act by which we open our heart to       
receive the gift of ,god2 as earth bares
 her breast to sun and rain1 and as the 
good wife flings wide her doors and     
windows to let in the spring sunshine   
and the summer air4  ,ah1 reader1 ,i    
would that thou hadst this faith6  ,the 
open heart towards ,christ6  ,the       
yielded will6  ,thou needst only will to
 have ,him1 and ,he has already entered1
 though thou canst not detect his       
footfall1 or the chime of the bells     
around his garment's hem4  ,and to shut 
thy heart against ,him not only excludes
 the life which might be thine1 but     
incurs the wrath of ,god4  ,there are   

two concluding thoughts4  ,first3 ,the  
only hope of a decreasing self is an    
increasing ,christ4  ,there is too much 
of the self-life in us all1 chafing     
against ,god's will1 refusing ,god's    
gifts1 instigating the very services we 
render to ,god1 simulating humility and 
meekness for the praise of men4  ,but   
how can we be rid of this accursed      
self-consciousness and pride8  ,ah6 we  
must turn our back on our shadow1 and   
our face towards ,christ4  ,we must look
 at all things from his standpoint1     
trying to realize always how they affect
 ,him1 and then entering into his       
emotions4  ,it has been said that the   
woman who loves thinks with the brain of
 the man she loves1 and surely if we    
love ,christ with a constraining        
passion1 we shall think his thoughts and
 feel his joys1 and no longer live unto 
ourselves1 but unto ,him4    ,love took 
up the ,harp of ,life     ,and smote on 
all its chords with might2   ,smote the 
chord of self1 that trembling1          

,passed in music out of sight4          
,second3 we must view our relationship  
to ,christ as the betrothal and marriage
 of our soul to our ,maker and          
,redeemer1 who is also our ,husband4    
,wherefore1 my brethren1 says the       
apostle1 ye also were made dead to the  
law through the body of ,christ2 that ye
 should be married to another1 even to  
,him who was raised from the dead1 that 
we should bring forth fruit unto ,god   
7,rom4 vii4 #d74  ,the ,son of ,god is  
not content to love us4  ,he cannot rest
 till ,he has all our love in return4   
,he looketh in at the windows of the    
soul1 and showeth ,himself through the  
lattice4  ,our ,beloved speaks1 and says
 unto us1 ,rise up1 my love1 my fair    
one1 and come away4  ,and1 as our       
response1 ,he waits to hear us say3     
,my ,beloved is mine1 and ,i am his2    
,he feedeth his flock among the lilies4 
,until the day break1 and the shadows   
flee away1   ,turn1 my ,beloved6     ,x4
  ,the ,king's ,courts  7,,mark ,,vi47  

,the number of thine own complete1      
,sum up and make an end2   ,sift clean  
the chaff1 and house the wheat2     ,and
 then1 ,o ,lord1 descend4    ,descend1  
and solve by that descent     ,this     
mystery of life2   ,where good and ill1 
together blent1     ,wage an undying    
strife4             ,j4 ,h4 ,n4   ,under
 ,royal ,surveillance--,it is not       
,lawful4--,the ,revenge of              
,herodias--,the ,upbraidings of         
,conscience--,devotion to ,truth--,a    
,sin unto ,death4   ,our story brings us
 next to speak of the ,baptist's        
relations with ,herod ,antipas1 son of  
the great ,herod1 a contemptible        
princeling who inherited a fourth part  
of his father's dominions 7hence known  
as the ,tetrarch71 ruling over ,galilee 
and part of ,perea4  ,for the most part 
he lived at ,tiberias1 in great state1  
which he had imported from ,rome1 where 
he had spent part of his early life4    
,from an early age he had been entrusted
 with despotic power1 and1 as the       

natural and inevitable result1 had      
become sensual1 weak1 capricious1 and   
cruel4  ,it is of the collision between 
this man1 whom our ,lord compared to a  
fox1 and ,john the ,baptist1 that we    
have now to treat4  ,we need only notice
 here that every great character on the 
page of history has had his vehement    
antagonist4  ,moses1 ,pharaoh2 ,elijah1 
,ahab2 ,jeremiah1 ,jehoiakim2 ,paul1    
,nero2 ,savonarola1 the ,medici2        
,luther1 the ,emperor ,charles ,v42     
,john ,knox1 ,queen ,mary4   ,i4  ,,the 
,,cause ,,of ,,the ,,collision4--,all   
the world had flocked to see and hear   
,john the ,baptist4  ,every mouth was   
full of his eccentricities and          
eloquence4  ,marvellous stories were    
being told of the effect which he had   
produced on the lives of those who had  
come under his influence4 ,all this was 
well known to ,herod4  ,his spies were  
present in every great gathering1 and   
served the purpose of the newspaper of  
to-day2 so that he was well informed of 

all the topics that engaged the popular 
mind4  ,for some months1 also1 ,herod   
had watched the career of the preacher4 
,when he least expected it1 he was under
 the surveillance of the closest        
criticism4  ,a fierce light1 like that  
which beats about a throne1 fell        
strongly on his most secret actions4    
,and the result had been perfectly      
satisfactory4  ,herod felt that ,john   
was a true man4  ,he observed him1 and  
was satisfied that he was a just man and
 a holy4  ,reasons of state forbade the 
king from going in person to the ,jordan
 ,valley2 but he was extremely eager to 
see and hear this mighty man of ,god3   
and so1 one day1 at the close of a      
discourse1 an argument with the         
,pharisees1 or the administration of the
 rite of baptism1 ,john found himself   
accosted by one of the court            
chamberlains1 and summoned to deliver   
his message before the court4  ,herod   
sent for him4  ,we might wonder how it  
could happen that a man like ,herod1 who

 notoriously lived in a glass house1 so 
far as character went1 should be so     
willing to call in so merciless a       
preacher of repentance as ,john the     
,baptist was--before whose words1 flung 
like stones1 full many a glass house had
 crashed to the ground1 leaving its     
tenant unsheltered before the storm4    
,but it must be remembered that most    
men1 when they enter the precincts of   
the court1 are accustomed to put velvet 
in their mouths2 and1 however vehement  
they may have been in denouncing the    
sins of the lower classes1 they change  
their tone when face to face with       
sinners in high places4  ,herod1        
therefore1 had every reason to presume  
that ,john would obey this unwritten    
law2 and1 whilst denouncing sin in      
general1 would refrain from anything    
savouring of the direct and personal4   
,another reason probably actuated       
,herod4  ,he knew that the land was     
filled with the fame of the ,baptist1   
and it seemed an easy path to           

popularity1 and likely to divert        
attention from his private sins1 which  
had made much scandal1 to patronize the 
religion of the masses4  ,at this point 
he probably entertained much the same   
feeling toward the desert-prophet that  
led ,simon the ,pharisee to invite      
,jesus to eat with him4  ,yes1 let ,john
 the ,baptist come4  ,court life is     
dreary and monotonous enough4  ,it will 
make a little diversion1 like a breath  
of fresh air on a sultry day4  ,it is   
worth risking a little roughness in his 
speech1 and uncouthness in his manner1  
if only he while away an afternoon4     
,besides1 it will please his following1 
which is considerable4  ,let him come1  
by all means4  ,we are reminded of a    
similar scene in ,old ,testament        
history1 when1 at the solicitation of   
,jehoshaphat1 ,ahab sent for ,micaiah4  
,the messenger that went to call        
,micaiah spake unto him1 saying1        
',behold1 the words of the prophets     
declare good to the king with one mouth2

 let thy word therefore1 ,i pray thee1  
be like one of theirs1 and speak thou   
good4'  ,one interpretation of ,mark vi4
 #bj suggests that the ,baptist's first 
sermon before ,herod was followed by    
another1 and yet another4  ,the ,baptist
 dealt with general subjects1 urged on  
the ,king's attention some minor        
reforms1 which were not too personal or 
drastic1 and won his genuine regard4    
,we are told that he used to hear 7the  
imperfect tense7 him gladly1 and did    
many things4  ,it was a relief to       
,herod's mind to feel that there were   
many things which he could do1 many     
wrongs which he could set right1 while  
the main wrong of his life was left     
untouched4  ,ah6 it is remarkable how   
much men will do in the direction of    
amendment and reform1 if only1 by a     
tacit understanding1 nothing is said1 or
 hinted at1 which threatens the one sin 
in which the heart's evil has           
concentrated itself4  ,but ,john knew   
that his duty to ,herod1 to truth1 to   

public morality1 demanded that he should
 go further1 and pierce to the dividing 
asunder of soul and spirit1 of the      
joints and marrow2 and therefore on one 
memorable occasion he accosted the royal
 criminal with the crime of which men   
were speaking secretly everywhere1 and  
uttered the memorable sentence which    
could not be forgiven3 ,it is not lawful
 for thee to have thy brother's wife4   
,we can imagine how some room in the    
palace1 which had often been the scene  
of wild riot1 would be improvised as an 
audience chamber1 filled with seats1 and
 crowded on each occasion of the        
,baptist's appearance with a strange and
 brilliant throng4  ,in the midst1 the  
king and the woman with whom he was     
living in illicit union2 next them her  
daughter1 ,salome2 around them courtiers
 and ladies1 nobles and pages1 soldiers 
and servants4  ,on all sides splendid   
dresses1 magnificent uniforms1 rare     
jewels1 luxurious upholstery1 added     
light and colour to the scene4  ,the    

sermon began4  ,as was ,john's wont1 he 
arraigned the sin1 the formalism1 the   
laxity of the times2 he proclaimed the  
advent of the ,kingdom1 the presence of 
the ,king2 he demanded1 in the name of  
,god1 repentance and reform4  ,herod    
was1 as usual1 impressed and convinced2 
he assented to the preacher's           
propositions2 already he had settled    
himself into his usual posture for      
hearing gladly4  ,it was as when we     
watch summer-lightning playing around   
the horizon2 we have no fear so long as 
it is not forked4  ,presently1 however1 
,john becomes more personal and direct  
than ever before4  ,he begins1 in no    
measured terms1 to denounce the sin of  
men in high places1 and holds up the    
dissoluteness which disgraced the court4
 ,as he proceeds1 a breathless silence  
falls on the crowd sitting1 or hanging  
around him1 their dresses in curious    
contrast to his severe garment of       
camel's hair1 their nervous dread in as 
great contrast to his incisive and      

searching eloquence4  ,here were the    
people clothed in soft raiment1 and     
accustomed to sumptuous fare1 bending as
 reeds before the gusts of wind sweeping
 fiercely across the marsh4  ,finally1  
the preacher comes closer still1 and    
pointing to the princess who sat beside 
,herod1 looking ,herod in the face1 he  
exclaims3 ,it is not lawful for thee to 
have thy brother's wife4  ,we need not  
dwell on all the terrible details of    
that disgraceful sin4 ,but every        
circumstance which could deepen its     
infamy was present4 ,herod's wife1 the  
daughter of ,aretas1 ,king of ,arabia1  
was still living2 as was ,philip1 the   
husband of ,herodias4  ,the liaison     
commenced at ,rome1 when ,herod was the 
guest of his brother ,philip1 while     
apparently engaged on a mission of holy 
devotion to the religious interests of  
the ,jewish nation4  ,the ground of     
,john's accusation calls for a heavier  
emphasis than appears in a superficial  
consideration of the words4  ,he might  

have said3 ,it is not expedient2 your   
wife's father will rise in arms against 
you1 and threaten the ,eastern border of
 your kingdom4  ,it is not expedient to 
run the risk of war1 which may give     
,rome a further excuse against you4  ,he
 might have said3 ,this is an unwise    
step1 as it will cut you off from your  
own family1 and leave you exposed to the
 brunt of popular hate4  ,he might have 
said3 ,it is impolitic and incautious to
 risk the adverse judgment of the       
,emperor4  ,but he said none of these   
things4  ,he took the matter to a higher
 court4  ,he arraigned the guilty pair  
before ,god2 and1 laying his axe at the 
root of the tree--calling on ,herod's   
conscience1 long gagged and silent1 to  
take part in the impeachment--he said1  
in effect3 ,i summon you before the bar 
of ,god1 and in the pure light which    
streams from his holy ,oracle1 your     
consciences being witnesses against you1
 you know perfectly well that it is not 
right for you to be living as you are   

living4  ',thou shalt not commit        
adultery4'  ,every hearer stood aghast4 
,a death-like hush fell on the assembly1
 which probably broke up in dismay4  ,so
 paralyzed was every one that no hand   
was laid on the preacher4  ,we are      
expressly told that ,herod sent forth   
and laid hold upon ,john 7,mark vi4     
#ag72 from which we infer that the      
fearless preacher passed out through the
 paralyzed and conscience-stricken      
assemblage1 leaving dismay1 like that   
which befell the roysterers in          
,belshazzar's court1 when the hand of   
the ,almighty traced the mysterious     
characters on the palace wall in lines  
of fire4  ,the first feeling of awe and 
conscience-stricken remorse would1      
however1 soon pass off4  ,some would    
hasten to condole with ,herodias2 some  
to sympathize with ,herod4  ,herodias   
would retire to her apartments1         
accompanied by her high ladies1 vowing  
fiery vengeance on the preacher--a very 
,jezebel1 thirsting for the blood of    

another ,elijah4  ,throughout ,herod's  
court there would be an effort to       
dismiss the allusion as ,altogether     
uncalled for2 as ,what might have been  
expected from such a man2 as ,a gross   
breach of manners1 as ,an affront       
against delicacy of taste4  ,but        
,herodias would give her paramour no    
rest2 and1 perhaps one evening1 when    
,john had retired for meditation and    
prayer1 his disciples being off their   
guard and the people absent1 a handful  
of soldiers arrested him1 bound him1 and
 led him off to the strong castle of    
,machaerus4   ,,ii4  ,,john',s          
,,imprisonment ,,and ,,its              
,,opportunities4--,the castle of        
,machaerus was known as the diadem1 or  
the black tower4  ,it lay on the east   
side of the ,dead ,sea1 almost on a line
 with ,bethlehem4  ,the ruins of the    
castle are still to be seen1 in great   
masses of squared stone1 on the top of a
 lofty hill1 surrounded on three sides  
by unscaleable precipices1 descending to

 such depths that ,josephus says the eye
 could not reach their bottom4  ,the    
fourth side is described as only a      
little less terrible4  ,wild desolation 
reigned far and near4  ,a ,german       
traveller mentions the masses of lava1  
brown1 red1 and black1 varied with      
pumice-stone1 distributed in huge broken
 masses1 or rising in perpendicular     
cliffs2 whilst the rushing stream1 far  
below1 is overgrown with oleanders and  
date-palms1 willows1 poplars1 and tall  
reeds4  ,here and there1 thick mists of 
steam arise1 where the hot sulphur      
springs gush from the clefts of the     
rocks4  ,on this impregnable site1 ,dr4 
,geikie tells us that ,herod had erected
 a great wall1 enclosing the summit of  
the hill1 with towers two hundred feet  
high at the corners1 and in the space   
thus gained had built a grand palace1   
with rows of columns of a single stone  
apiece1 halls lined with many-coloured  
marbles1 magnificent baths1 and all the 
details of ,roman luxury1 not omitting  

huge cisterns1 barracks1 and            
store-houses1 with everything needed in 
case of a siege4  ,from the windows     
there was a magnificent view of the     
,dead ,sea1 the whole course of the     
,jordan1 ,jerusalem1 ,hebron1 the       
frowning fortress of ,marsaba1 and away 
to the north1 the wild heights of       
,pisgah and ,abarim4  ,detached from the
 palace was a stern and gloomy keep1    
with underground dungeons still visible1
 hewn down into the solid rock4  ,this  
was the scene of ,john's imprisonment4  
,the ,evangelist says expressly that    
they bound the child of the             
desert-wastes1 with his love for dear   
liberty--sensitive to the touch of the  
sunshine and the breeze1 to the beauty  
that lay over the hills1 accustomed to  
go and come at his will--as though it   
were the last indignity and affront to  
fetter those lithe and supple limbs1 and
 place them under constraint4  ,ah1 it  
is little short of a sin to encage a    
wild bird1 beating its heart against the

 bars of its narrow cage1 when the sun  
calls it to mount up with quivering     
ecstasy to the gates of day2 but what a 
sin to bind the preacher of             
righteousness1 and imprison him in      
sunless vaults--what an agony6  ,what a 
contrast between the gay revelry that   
reigned yonder within the palace1 and   
the slow torture which the noble spirit 
of the ,baptist was doomed to suffer    
through those weary months6  ,is there  
anything like that in your life1 my     
reader8  ,in many an old castle the     
attention of the visitor is directed to 
a haunted room1 where ghosts are said to
 walk at night2 but in how many hearts  
there are dark subterranean apartments1 
where conscience1 gagged and bound1 lies
 imprisoned6  ,outwardly there is the   
gaiety and mirth as of a palace2 but    
inwardly there is remorse1 misery1      
unrest4  ,in lonely hours there is a    
voice which pierces the thickest walls  
of your assumed indifference1 and rings 
up into the house of your life1 where   

the soul seeks to close its ear in vain4
  ,it is a sad1 monotonous1             
heart-piercing cry which that voice     
repeats3 ,it is not lawful1 not lawful1 
not lawful4  ,whenever there is a moment
 of silence and respite1 you hear       
it--,not lawful1 not lawful4  ,and      
nothing can stay it but repentance1     
confession1 restitution1 so far as may  
be1 and the blood of ,jesus ,christ1    
,god's ,son1 which cleanseth from all   
sin4  ,from time to time it would seem  
as though the strictness of ,john's     
imprisonment was relaxed4  ,his         
disciples were permitted to see him1 and
 tell him of what was happening in the  
world without2 but stranger than all1 he
 was summoned to have audiences with    
,herod himself4  ,another rendering of  
,mark vi4 #ai1 #bj1 which is perfectly  
legitimate1 and is favoured by the      
,r4,v41 suggests that the king was ill  
at ease1 and swept to and fro by very   
different currents4  ,first1 he was     
deeply incensed4  ,as he thought of the 

manner in which the ,baptist had treated
 him1 denouncing him before his court1  
the fire of anger burnt fiercely within 
his breast2 and he had beside him a     
,lady ,macbeth1 a beautiful fiend and   
temptress1 who knew that while the      
,baptist lived1 and dared to speak as he
 had done1 her position was not safe4   
,she knew ,herod well enough to dread   
the uprising of his conscience at the   
appeals of truth4  ,and perpetually1    
when she saw her chance1 she whispered  
in ,herod's ear1 ,the sooner you do away
 with that man the better4  ,you don't  
love me perfectly1 as long as you permit
 him to breathe4  ,unmannerly cur6      
,herodias set herself against him1 and  
desired to kill him2 but she could not4 
,on the other side1 ,herod was in fear4 
,he feared ,john1 knowing that he was a 
righteous man and a holy4  ,he feared   
the people1 because they held him for a 
prophet4  ,and1 beneath all1 he feared  
,god1 lest he should step in to avenge  
any wrong perpetrated against his       

servant4  ,between these two influences 
he was much perplexed 7,mark vi4 #bj1   
,r4,v474  ,when he was with ,herodias1  
he thought as she did1 and left her1    
almost resolved to give the fatal order2
 but when he was alone1 the other       
influence made itself felt1 and he would
 send for ,john3  ,i would like to see  
him again1 chamberlain--tell the gaoler 
to send the ,baptist hither2 let his    
coming to my private room be1 however1  
kept secret4  ,i don't want all my court
 blabbing4  ,and the gaoler would come  
to the cell door1 and call to his       
prisoner1 with a mixture of effrontery  
and obsequiousness1 ,up1 man2 the king  
wants you4  ,put on your softest speech4
  ,it will serve you better than that   
rasping tongue of yours4  ,why cannot   
you leave the king and his private      
affairs alone8  ,they are no business of
 yours or mine4  ,and might not ,herod  
attempt to induce the prophet to take   
back his ruthless sentence8  ,come1 he  
might say1 you remember what you said4  

,if you unsay that sentence1 ,i will set
 you free4  ,i cannot1 out of respect   
for my consort1 allow such words to     
remain unretracted4  ,there1 you have   
your freedom in your own hands4  ,one   
word of apology1 and you may go your    
way2 and my solemn bond is yours1 that  
you shall be kept free from molestation4
  ,if such an offer were made1 it must  
have presented a strong temptation to   
the emaciated captive1 whose physique   
had already lost the elasticity and     
vigour of his early manhood1 and was    
showing signs of his grievous privation4
  ,but he had no alternative2 and1      
however often the ordeal was repeated1  
he met the royal solicitation with the  
same unwavering reply3 ,i have no       
alternative4  ,it is not lawful for thee
 to have thy brother's wife4  ,i should 
betray my ,god1 and act treacherously to
 thyself1 if ,i were to take back one   
word which ,i have spoken2 and thou     
knowest that it is so4  ,and as he      
reasoned of righteousness1 temperance1  

and a judgment to come1 the royal       
culprit trembled4  ,john could do no    
other2 but it was a sublime act of      
devotion to ,god and ,truth4  ,he had no
 thought for himself at all1 and thought
 only of the choice and destiny of that 
guilty pair1 from which he would warn   
and save them1 if he might4  ,well might
 the ,lord ask1 in after days1 if ,john 
were a reed shaken with the wind4       
,rather he resembled a forest tree1     
whose deeply-struck and far-spreading   
roots secure it against the attack of   
the hurricane2 or a mighty ,alp1 which  
defies the tremor of the earthquake1 and
 rears its head above the               
thunder-storms1 which break upon its    
slopes1 to hold fellowship with the     
skies4  ,how many men are like ,herod6  
,they resemble the superficial ground1  
on which the seed springs into rapid and
 unnatural growth2 but the rock lies    
close beneath the surface4  ,now they   
are swayed by the voice of the preacher1
 and moved by the pleadings of          

conscience1 allowed for one brief moment
 to utter its protests and              
remonstrances2 and then they feel the   
fascination of their sin1 that unholy   
passion1 that sinful habit1 that        
ill-gotten gain--and are sucked back    
from the beach1 on which they were      
almost free1 into the sea of ink and    
death4  ,you may be trying1 my reader1  
to steer a middle course between ,john  
the ,baptist and ,herodias4  ,now you   
resolve to get free of her guilty       
charms1 and break the spell that        
fascinates you4  ,merlin will emancipate
 himself from ,vivien1 before she learn 
his secret1 and dance with it down the  
wood1 leaving him dishonoured and       
ashamed4  ,but1 within an hour1 the     
,syren is again singing her dulcet      
notes1 and drawing the ship closer and  
closer to the rocks1 with their black   
teeth1 waiting to grind it to splinters4
  ,oh that there might come to you the  
voice that spoke with such power to     
,augustine1 and that like him you might 

now and here yield yourself to it2 so   
that when the temptress1 whatever form  
she may assume1 approaches you with the 
whisper3 ,i am she1 ,augustine1 you may 
answer3 ,but ,i am not he6  ,so ,john   
was left in prison4  ,month after month 
he languished in the dark and stifling  
dungeon1 wondering a little1 now and    
again1 why the ,master1 if ,he were the 
,son of ,god1 did not interpose to work 
his deliverance4  ,but of that anon4    
,,iii4  ,,herod',s ,,inevitable         
,,deterioration4--,again and again ,john
 was remanded to his cell4  ,probably   
twelve months passed thus4  ,but each   
time the king failed to act on the      
preacher's remonstrances2 he became more
 impervious to his appeals1 more liable 
to the sway of passion4 ,thus1 when a   
supreme moment came1 in which he was    
under the influence of drink and unholy 
appetite1 and the reign of such moral   
nature as remained was greatly          
enfeebled1 it is not to be wondered at  
that ,herodias had her way1 and before  

her murderous request the last thin     
fence of resistance broke down1 and he  
gave orders that it should be as she    
desired4  ,the story does not end here4 
,he not only murdered ,john the         
,baptist1 but he inflicted a deadly     
wound on his own moral nature1 from     
which it never recovered1 as we shall   
see4  ,ultimately he had no thought in  
the presence of ,christ other than to   
see ,him work a miracle2 and when his   
desire was refused1 set him at nought   
with his mighty men1 mocked his claims  
to be the ,king of ,israel1 did not     
scruple to treat ,him with indignity and
 violence1 and so dismissed ,him4  ,is  
it wonderful that our ,lord was         
speechless before such a man8  ,what    
else could ,he be8  ,the deterioration  
had been so awful and complete4 ,for the
 love of ,god can say nothing to us1    
though it be prepared to die on our     
behalf1 so long as we refuse to repent  
of1 and put away1 our sin4  ,we remember
 some solemn words1 which may be applied

 in all their fearful significance to   
that scene3 ,there is a sin unto death2 
not concerning this do ,i say that he   
should make request4     ,,xi4  ,art    
,thou ,he8  7,,matthew ,,xi47    ,he    
fought his doubts and gathered strength1
     ,he would not make his judgment    
blind1     ,he faced the spectres of the
 mind   ,and laid them2--thus he came1  
at length1    ,to find a stronger faith 
his own1     ,and ,power was with him in
 the night1     ,which makes the        
darkness and the light1   ,and dwells   
not in the light alone4                 
,,tennyson4   ,john's                   
,misgivings--,disappointed              
,hopes--,signs of the ,christ--,the     
,discipline of ,patience--,a ,new       
,beatitude   ,it is very touching to    
remark the tenacity with which some few 
of ,john's disciples clung to their     
great leader4  ,the majority had        
dispersed3 some to their homes2 some to 
follow ,jesus4  ,only a handful lingered
 still1 not alienated by the storm of   

hate which had broken on their master1  
but drawn nearer1 with the unfaltering  
loyalty of unchangeable affection4      
,they could not forget what he had been 
to them--that he had first called them  
to the reality of living2 that he had   
taught them to pray2 that he had led    
them to the ,christ3 and they dare not  
desert him now1 in the dark sad days of 
his imprisonment and sorrow4  ,what an  
inestimable blessing to have friends    
like this1 who will not leave our side  
when the crowd ebbs1 but draw closer as 
the shadows darken over our path1 and   
the prison damp wraps its chill mantle  
about us6  ,to be loved like that is    
earth's deepest bliss6  ,these heroic   
souls risked all the peril that might   
accrue to themselves from this          
identification with their master2 they  
did not hesitate to come to his cell    
with tidings of the great outer world1  
and specially of what ,he was doing and 
saying1 whose life was so mysteriously  
bound up with his own4  ,the disciples  

of ,john told him of all these things   
7,luke vii4 #ah1 ,r4,v474  ,it was to   
two of these choice and steadfast       
friends that ,john confided the question
 which had long been forming within his 
soul1 and forcing itself to the front4  
,and ,john1 calling unto him two of his 
disciples1 sent them to the ,lord1      
saying1 ,art ,thou ,he that cometh1 or  
look we for another8   ,i4  ,,john',s   
,,misgivings4--,can this be he who1 but 
a few months ago1 had stood in his      
rock-hewn pulpit1 in radiant certainty8 
,the brilliant eastern sunlight that    
bathed his figure1 as he stood erect    
amid the thronging crowds1 was the      
emblem and symbol of the light that     
filled his soul4  ,no misgiving crossed 
it4  ,he pointed to ,christ with        
unfaltering certitude1 saying1 ,this is 
,he1 the ,lamb of ,god1 the ,son of the 
,father1 the ,bridegroom of the soul4   
,how great the contrast between that and
 this sorrowful cry1 ,art ,thou ,he8    
,some commentators1 to save his credit1 

have supposed that the embassy was sent 
to the ,lord for the sake of the        
disciples1 that their hearts might be   
opened1 their faith confirmed--and that 
they might have a head and leader when  
he was gone4  ,but the narrative has to 
be greatly strained and dragged out of  
its obvious course to make it cover the 
necessities of such an hypothesis4  ,it 
is more natural to think that ,john the 
,baptist was for a brief spell under a  
cloud1 involved in doubt1 tempted to let
 go the confidence that had brought him 
such ecstatic joy when he first saw the 
,dove descending and abiding4  ,the     
,bible does not scruple to tell us of   
the failures of its noblest children3 of
 ,abram1 thinking that the ,egyptians   
would take his life2 of ,elijah1        
stretching himself beneath the shadow of
 the desert bush1 and asking that he    
might die2 of ,thomas1 who had been     
prepared to die with his ,lord1 but     
could not believe that ,he was risen4   
,and in this the ,spirit of ,god has    

rendered us untold service1 because we  
learn that the material out of which ,he
 made the greatest saints was flesh and 
blood like ourselves2 and that it was by
 ,divine grace1 manifested very         
conspicuously towards them1 that they   
became what they were4  ,if only the    
ladder rests on the low earth1 where we 
live and move and have our being1 there 
is some hope of our climbing to stand   
with others who have ascended its       
successive rungs and reached the starry 
heights4  ,yes1 let us believe that1 for
 some days at least1 ,john's mind was   
overcast1 his faith lost its foothold1  
and he seemed to be falling into        
bottomless depths4  ,he sent them to    
,jesus1 saying1 ,art ,thou ,he that     
should come8 ,we can easily trace this  
lapse of faith to three sources4  7#a7  
,depression4  ,he was the child of the  
desert4  ,the winds that swept across   
the waste were not freer4  ,the         
boundless spaces of the ,infinite had   
stretched above him1 in vaulted         

immensity1 when he slept at night or    
wrought through the busy days2 and as he
 found himself cribbed1 cabined1 and    
confined in the narrow limits of his    
cell1 his spirits sank4  ,he pined with 
the hunger of a wild thing for          
liberty--to move without the clanking   
fetters2 to drink of the fresh water of 
the ,jordan1 to breathe the morning air2
 to look on the expanse of nature4 ,is  
it hard to understand how his           
deprivations reacted on his mental and  
spiritual organization1 or that his     
nervous system lost its elasticity of   
tone1 or that the depression of his     
physical life cast a shadow on his soul8
  ,we are all so highly strung1 so      
delicately balanced4  ,often the lack of
 spiritual joy and peace and power in   
prayer is attributable to nothing else  
than our confinement in the narrow      
limits of a tiny room2 to the foul1     
gaseous air we are compelled to breathe2
 to our inability to get beyond the     
great city1 with its wilderness of      

brick1 into the country1 with its       
blossoms1 fields1 and woodland glades4  
,in a large number of spiritual maladies
 the physician is more necessary than   
the minister of religion2 a holiday by  
the seaside or on the mountains1 than a 
convention4  ,what an infinite comfort  
it is to be told that ,god knows how    
easily our nature may become jangled and
 out of tune4  ,he can attribute our    
doubts and fears to their right source4 
,he knows the bow is bent to the point  
of breaking1 and the string strained to 
its utmost tension4  ,he does not rebuke
 his servants when they cast themselves 
under juniper bushes1 and ask to die2   
but sends them food and sleep4  ,and    
when they send from their prisons1      
saying1 ,art ,thou ,he8 there is no word
 of rebuke1 but of tender encouragement 
and instruction4  7#b7 ,disappointment4 
,when first consigned to prison1 he had 
expected every day that ,jesus would in 
some way deliver him4  ,was ,he not the 
opener of prison-doors8  ,was not all   

power at his disposal8  ,did ,he not    
wield the sceptre of the house of       
,david8  ,surely ,he would not let his  
faithful follower lie in the despair of 
that dark dungeon6  ,in that first      
sermon at ,nazareth1 of which he had    
been informed1 was it not expressly     
stated to be part of the ,divine        
programme1 for which ,he had been       
anointed1 that ,he would open           
prison-doors1 and proclaim liberty to   
captives8  ,he would surely then send   
his angels to open his prison-doors1 and
 lead him forth into the light6  ,but   
the weeks grew to months1 and still no  
help came4  ,it was inexplicable to     
,john's honest heart1 and suggested the 
fear that he had been mistaken after    
all4  ,we can sympathize in this also4  
,often in our lives we have counted on  
,god's interfering to deliver us from   
some intolerable sorrow4  ,with ears    
alert1 and our heart throbbing with     
expectancy1 we have lain in our         
prison-cell listening for the first     

faint footfall of the angel2 but the    
weary hours have passed without bringing
 him1 and we have questioned whether    
,god were mindful of his own2 whether   
prayer prevailed2 whether the promises  
were to be literally appropriated by us8
  7#c7 ,partial views of ,christ4  ,john
 heard in the prison the works of       
,jesus4  ,they were wholly beneficent   
and gentle4  ,what has ,he done since   
last you were here8  ,he has laid his   
hands on a few sick folk1 and healed    
them2 has gathered a number of children 
to his arms1 and blessed them2 has sat  
on the mountain1 and spoken of rest and 
peace and blessedness4  ,yes2 good4     
,but what more8  ,a woman touched the   
hem of his garment1 and trembled1 and   
confessed1 and went away healed4  ,good6
  ,but what more8  ,well1 there were    
some blind men1 and ,he laid his hands  
on them1 and they saw4  ,is that all8   
,has ,he not used the fan to winnow the 
wheat1 and the fire to burn up the      
chaff8  ,this is what ,i was expecting1 

and what ,i have been taught to expect  
by ,isaiah and the rest of the prophets4
  ,i cannot understand it4  ,this quiet1
 gentle life of benevolence is outside  
my calculations4  ,there must be some   
mistake4  ,go and ask ,him whether we   
should expect another1 made in a        
different mould1 and who shall be as the
 fire1 the earthquake1 the tempest1     
while ,he is as the still small voice4  
,john had partial views of the          
,christ--he thought of ,him only as the 
,avenger of sin1 the ,maker of          
revolution1 the dread ,judge of all4    
,there was apparently no room in his    
conception for the gentler1 sweeter1    
tenderer aspects of his ,master's       
nature4  ,and for want of a clearer     
understanding of what ,god by the mouth 
of his holy prophets had spoken since   
the world began1 he fell into this      
,slough of ,despond4  ,it was a grievous
 pity2 yet let us not blame him too     
vehemently1 lest we blame ourselves4    
,is not this what we do8  ,we form a    

notion of ,god1 partly from what we     
think ,he ought to be1 partly from some 
distorted notions we have derived from  
others2 and then because ,god fails to  
realize our conception1 we begin to     
doubt4  ,we think1 for instance1 that if
 there be a righteous ,god1 ,he will not
 permit wrong to triumph2 little        
children to suffer for the sins of their
 parents2 the innocent to be trodden    
beneath the foot of the oppressor and   
the proud2 or the dumb creatures to be  
tortured in the supposed interest of    
medical science4  ,surely ,god will step
 out of his hiding-place and open all   
prisons1 emancipate all captives1 and   
wave a hand of benediction over all     
creation4  ,thus we think and say2 and  
then1 because the world still groans and
 travails1 we question whether ,god is  
in his high heaven4 ,like ,john1 men    
have a notion1 founded on some faulty   
knowledge of ,scripture1 that ,god will 
act in a certain preconceived way1 in   
the thunder1 the whirlwind1 and the     

fire2 and when ,god does not1 but       
pursues his tender1 gentle ministries1  
descending in summer showers1 speaking  
in soft1 still tones1 distilling in the 
dew-drops1 winning his empire over men  
by love1 they say--,is this ,he8  ,,ii4 
,,the ,,lord',s ,,reply4--,in that hour 
,he cured many of diseases1 and plagues1
 and evil spirits2 and on many that were
 blind ,he bestowed sight4  ,through the
 long hours of the day1 the disciples   
stood in the crowd1 while the pitiable  
train of sick and demon-possessed passed
 before the ,saviour1 coming in every   
stage of need1 and going away cleansed  
and saved4  ,even the dead were raised4 
,and at the close the ,master turned to 
them1 and with a deep significance in   
his tone1 said1 ,go your way1 and tell  
,john what things ye have seen and      
heard2 the blind receive their sight1   
the lame walk1 the lepers are cleansed1 
and the deaf hear1 the dead are raised  
up1 the poor have good tidings preached 
to them4  ,and blessed is he1 whosoever 

shall find none occasion of stumbling in
 ,me4  7#a7 ,it was ,indirect4  ,he did 
not say1 ,i am ,he that was to come1 and
 there is no need to look for another4  
,had ,he done so1 ,he might have        
answered ,john's intellect1 but not his 
heart4  ,after a few hours the assurance
 would have waxed dim1 and he would have
 questioned again4  ,he might have      
wondered whether ,jesus were not        
,himself deceived4  ,one question always
 leads to another1 so long as the heart 
is unsatisfied2 hence the refusal on the
 part of our ,lord to answer the        
question1 and his evident determination 
to allay the restlessness and           
disquietude of the heart that throbbed  
beneath4  ,god might1 had ,he so willed1
 have written in starry characters      
across the sky the ,divine words1 ,i am 
,jehovah1 and ye shall have no other    
gods beside ,me2 or ,he might have      
flashed it1 and obliterated it to flash 
it again1 as the electric cylinders     
which serve the purposes of             

advertisements in our large cities by   
night4  ,this might have awed the       
intellect1 but it would not have        
convinced the heart4  ,were this ,god's 
method1 we should miss the benediction  
on those who have not seen and yet have 
believed4  ,we should miss the          
discipline of waiting until our doubts  
are dissolved by the ,spirit of ,god4   
,the intellect might be temporarily     
overpowered with the evidence2 but the  
soul1 the heart1 and the spirit1 would  
miss the true knowledge that comes      
through purity1 faith1 and waiting upon 
,god--the deepest knowledge of all4     
,besides1 though one were to rise from  
the dead1 and come to men with the awe  
of the vision of the other world stamped
 on his face1 they would not believe4   
,the evidence of the unseen and eternal 
must be given1 not to the startled      
physical sense1 but to the soul4  ,some 
other deeper method must be adopted2 the
 heart must be taught to wait1 trust1   
and accept those deep intuitions and    

revelations which establish the being of
 ,god4  7#b7 ,the ,answer was           
,mysterious4  ,surely1 if ,he were able 
to do so much1 ,he could do more4  ,the 
power that healed the sick and lame and 
blind1 and cast out demons1 could surely
 deliver ,john4  ,it made his heart the 
more wistful1 to hear of these displays 
of power4  ,he had to learn that the    
,lord healed these poor folks so easily 
because the light soil of their nature  
could not bear the richer harvests2     
because their soul could not stand the  
cutting through which alone the         
brilliant facets which were possible to 
his could be secured4  ,it was because  
,john was a royal soul1 the greatest of 
woman born1 because his nature was      
capable of yielding the best results to 
the ,divine culture1 that he was kept   
waiting1 whilst others caught up the    
blessing and went away healed4  ,only   
three months remained of life1 and in   
these the discipline of patience and    
doubt must do their perfect work4  ,that

 is where you have made a mistake4  ,you
 have thought ,god was hard on you1 that
 ,he would help everybody but you2 but  
you have not understood that your nature
 was so dear to ,god1 and so precious in
 his sight1 and so capable of the       
greatest development1 that ,god loved   
you too much to let you off so lightly1 
and give you what you wanted1 and send  
you on your way4  ,god could have given 
you sight1 made that lame foot well1    
restored the child to health1 and opened
 the iron prison door of your           
circumstances4  ,he could2 but for all  
eternity you will thank ,him ,he did    
not1 because you are capable of         
something else4  ,we are kept waiting   
through the long years--not that ,he    
loves us less1 but more2 not that ,he   
refuses what we ask1 but that in the    
long strain and tension ,he is making us
 partakers of his blessedness4  ,john's 
nature would presently yield a martyr   
and win a martyr's crown3 was not that  
reason enough for not giving him at once

 the deliverance he sought8  7#c7 ,the  
,answer was ,sufficient4  ,together with
 the works of beneficence1 the ,lord    
drew ,john's attention to words he      
seemed in danger of forgetting2         
,strengthen ye the weak hands1 and      
confirm the feeble knees4  ,say to them 
that are of a fearful heart1 ,be strong2
 fear not6  ,behold1 your ,god will come
 with vengeance1 with the recompense of 
,god4  ,he will come and save you4      
,then the eyes of the blind shall be    
opened2 and the ears of the deaf shall  
be unstopped2 then shall the lame man   
leap as an hart1 and the tongue of the  
dumb shall sing2 for in the wilderness  
shall waters break out1 and streams in  
the desert4 ,the ,spirit of the ,lord   
,god is upon ,me1 because the ,lord hath
 anointed ,me to preach good tidings    
unto the meek2 ,he hath sent ,me to bind
 up the broken-hearted1 to proclaim     
liberty to the captives1 and the opening
 of the prison to them that are bound4  
,the ,lord strove to convince the       

questioner that his views were too      
partial and limited1 and to send him    
back to a more comprehensive study of   
the old ,scriptures4  ,it was as though 
,jesus said1 ,go to your master1 and    
tell him to take again the ancient      
prophecy and study it4  ,he has taken   
the sterner predictions to the neglect  
of the gentler1 softer ones4  ,it is    
true that ,i am to proclaim the day of  
vengeance2 but first ,i must reveal the 
acceptable year4  ,it is true that ,i am
 to come as a ,mighty ,one1 and my arm  
shall rule for ,me2 but it is also true 
that ,i am to feed my flock like a      
,shepherd1 and gather the lambs in my   
arm4  ,we make the same mistake4  ,we   
have but a partial view of ,christ1 and 
need to get back to the ,bible afresh1  
and study anew its comprehensive words2 
then we shall come to understand that   
the present is the time of the hiding of
 his power1 the time of waiting1 the    
time of the gentler ministries4  ,some  
day ,he will gird on his sword2 some day

 ,he will winnow his floor2 some day ,he
 will ride in a chariot of flame2 some  
day ,he will sit upon the throne and    
judge those who oppress the innocent and
 take advantage of the poor4  ,we have  
not yet seen the end of the ,lord3 we   
have not all the evidence4  ,this is our
 mistake4  ,but our ,saviour is offering
 us every day evidences of his ,divine  
and loving power4  ,last week ,i saw    
,him raise the dead2 yesterday1 before  
my eyes1 ,he struck the chains from a   
prisoner2 at this hour ,he is giving    
sight to the blind2 to-morrow ,he will  
cast out demons4  ,the world is full of 
evidences of his gracious and ,divine   
power4  ,they are not so striking and   
masterful as deeds of judgment and wrath
 might be--they need a quicker eye1 a   
purer heart to discern2 but they are not
 less significant of the fact that ,he  
liveth who was dead1 and that ,he is    
alive for evermore4  ,and these are     
sufficient1 not only because of the     
transformations which are effected1 but 

because of their moral quality1 to show 
that there is ,one within the vail who  
lives in the power of an indissoluble   
life4   ,,iii4  ,a ,,new                
,,beatitude4--,blessed is he1 whosoever 
shall not be offended in ,me4  ,our     
,lord put within the reach of his noble 
,forerunner the blessedness of those who
 have not seen and yet have believed2 of
 those who trust though they are slain2 
of those who wait the ,lord's leisure2  
and of those who cannot understand his  
dealings1 but rest in what they know of 
his heart4  ,this is the beatitude of   
the unoffended1 of those who do not     
stumble over the mystery of ,god's      
dealings with their life4  ,this        
blessedness is within our reach also4   
,there are times when we are overpowered
 with the mystery of life and nature4   
,the world is so full of pain and       
sorrow1 the litany of its need is so sad
 and pitiful1 strong hearts are breaking
 under an intolerable load2 while the   
battle seems only to the strong and the 

race to those who1 by some mysterious   
providence1 come of a healthy1 though   
not specially moral or religious1 stock4
  ,and if the incidence of pain and     
sorrow on the world be explained by its 
ungodliness1 why does nature groan and  
travail8 why are the forest glades      
turned into a very shambles8 why does   
creation seem to achieve itself through 
the terrific struggle for survival8     
,god's children are sometimes the most  
bitterly tried4  ,for them the fires are
 heated seven times2 days of weariness  
and nights of pain are appointed them2  
they suffer1 not only at the hand of    
man1 but it seems as though ,god        
,himself were turned against them1 to   
become their enemy4 ,the heavens seem as
 brass to their cries and tears1 and the
 enemy has reason to challenge them with
 the taunt1 ,where is now your ,god6    
,the waters of a full cup are wrung out 
in days like these2 and the cry is      
extorted1 ,how long1 ,o ,lord1 how long8
  ,you and ,i have been in this plight4 

,we have said1 ,hath ,god forgotten to  
be gracious8  ,has ,he in anger shut up 
his tender mercies8  ,from our          
prison-cell we send up the appeal to our
 ,brother in the glory3 ,help us2 for if
 ,thou leavest us to our fate1 we shall 
question if ,thou art ,he4  ,we are     
tempted to stumbling4  ,we are like to  
fall over the mysteries of ,god's       
dealings with us4  ,we are more able    
than ever before to appreciate the      
standpoint occupied by ,job's wife1 when
 she said to her husband1 ,curse ,god1  
and die4  ,then we have the chance of   
inheriting a new beatitude4  ,by        
refusing to bend under the mighty hand  
of ,god--questioning1 chafing1          
murmuring--we miss the door which would 
admit us into rich and unalloyed        
happiness4 ,we fumble about the latch1  
but it is not lifted4  ,but if we will  
quiet our souls like a weaned child1    
anointing our heads1 and washing our    
faces1 light will break in on us as from
 the eternal morning2 the peace of ,god 

will keep our hearts and minds1 and we  
shall enter on the blessedness which our
 ,lord unfolded before the gaze of his  
faithful ,forerunner4     ,,xii4  ,none 
greater than ,john the ,baptist1 yet444 
7,,matthew ,,xi47    ,search thine own  
heart4  ,what paineth thee   ,in others1
 in thyself may be2   ,all dust is      
frail1 all flesh is weak2   ,be thou the
 same man thou dost seek6    ,where now 
with pain thou treadest1 trod   ,the    
whitest of the saints of ,god6   ,to    
show thee where their feet were set1    
,the light which led them shineth yet4  
,,whittier4   ,christ's                 
,appreciation--,his ,independence--,the 
,simplicity of his ,life--,his ,place in
 the ,devine ,economy--,the ,spirit of  
,meekness--,the ,greatness of ,humility 
,while ,john's disciples were standing  
there1 our ,lord said nothing in his    
praise1 but as soon as they had         
departed1 the flood-gates of his heart  
were thrown wide open1 and ,he began to 
speak to the multitudes concerning his  

faithful servant4  ,it was as though ,he
 would give him no cause for pride by   
what ,he said4  ,he desired to give his 
friend no additional temptation during  
those lonely hours4  ,we say our kind   
things before each other's faces2 our   
hard things when the back is turned4    
,it is not so with ,christ4  ,he passes 
his most generous encomiums when we are 
not there to hear them4  ,christ may    
never tell you how greatly ,he loves and
 values you2 but while you lie there in 
your prison1 with sad and overcast      
heart1 ,he is saying and thinking great 
things about you yonder4   ,i4  ,,the   
,,time ,,chosen ,,for ,,the ,,lord',s   
,,commendation ,,of ,,the               
,,baptist4--,it was when ,john had      
fallen beneath his usual level1 below   
high-water mark1 that ,jesus uttered his
 warmest and most generous words of     
appreciation--,among them that are born 
of women1 there hath not risen a greater
 than ,john the ,baptist4  ,but1 dost   
,thou really mean1 most holy ,lord1 that

 this one is the greatest born of woman8
  ,certainly1 saith ,christ1 in effect4 
,but he has asked if ,thou art really   
the ,messiah4  ,i know it1 saith the    
,lord4  ,but how canst ,thou say that he
 is to be compared with ,moses1 ,isaiah1
 or ,daniel8  ,did they doubt ,thee     
thus8  ,and how canst ,thou say that he 
is not a reed shaken with the wind1     
when1 but now1 he gave patent evidence  
that he was stooping beneath the        
hurrying tread of gales of doubt and    
depression8  ,ah1 the ,master seems to  
say1 ,heaven judges1 not by a passing   
mood1 but by the general tenor and trend
 of a man's life2 not by the expression 
of a doubt1 caused by accidents which   
may be explained1 but by the soul of man
 within him1 which is as much deeper    
than the emotions as the heart of the   
ocean is deeper than the cloud-shadows  
which hurry across its surface4  ,yes1  
the ,lord judges us by that which is    
deepest1 most permanent1 most constant  
and prevalent with us2 by the ideal we  

seek to apprehend2 by the decision and  
choice of our soul2 by that bud of      
possibility which lies as yet furled1   
and unrealized even by ourselves4       
,there is a remarkable parallel to this 
incident in the ,old ,testament4 ,when  
we are first introduced to ,gideon1 the 
youngest son of ,joash the ,abi-ezrite1 
he is not in a very dignified position4 
,he is threshing wheat by the           
wine-press1 to hide it from the hosts of
 ,midian1 which devoured the produce of 
the entire country4  ,there was no moral
 wrong in eluding the vigilance of the  
,midian spies1 in transporting the wheat
 from the open country1 where the wind  
might fan away the chaff1 to the        
comparative seclusion and unlikeliness  
of the wine-press2 but there was nothing
 specially heroic or inspiring in the   
spectacle4  ,yet1 when the angel of the 
,lord appeared unto him1 he said1 ,the  
,lord is with thee1 thou mighty man of  
valour4  ,mighty man of valour6  ,at    
first there is an apparent incongruity  

between this high-sounding salutation   
and the bearing of the man to whom it   
was addressed4  ,surely such an address 
is far-fetched and fulsome2 yet         
subsequent events prove that every      
syllable of it was deservedly true4     
,gideon was a mighty man of valour1 and 
,god was with him4  ,the heavenly       
messenger read beneath the outward      
passing incident1 and saw under the     
clumsy letters of the palimpsest the    
deep and holy characters which were     
awaiting the moment of complete         
discovery4  ,is not this1 in fact1 the  
meaning of the apostle1 when he says    
that faith is reckoned to us for        
righteousness8  ,in the fullest sense1  
of course1 we know that to each believer
 in ,jesus there is reckoned the entire 
benefit of his glorious person and work1
 so that we are accepted in the         
,beloved1 and ,he is made unto us 444   
,righteousness4  ,but there is another  
sense in which faith is reckoned to us  
for righteousness1 because it contains  

within itself the power and potency of  
the perfect life4  ,it is the seed-germ 
from which is developed in due course   
the plant1 the flower1 the bud1 the     
seed1 and the reproduction of the plant 
in unending succession4  ,god reckoned  
to ,abraham all that his faith was      
capable of producing1 which it did      
produce1 and which it would have        
produced had he possessed all the       
advantages which pertain to our own     
happy lot4  ,there is thus the objective
 and the subjective3 in virtue of the   
first1 through faith in ,jesus1 all his 
righteousness is accounted to us2 in    
virtue of the second1 ,god reckons to us
 all that blessed flowering and fruitage
 of which our faith will be capable1    
when patience has had its perfect work  
and we are perfect and entire1 wanting  
nothing4   ,,ii4  ,,the ,,outstanding   
,,features ,,of ,,john',s ,,character   
,,and ,,ministry ,,to ,,which ,,our     
,,lord ,,drew ,,attention4--7#a7 ,his   
,independence4  ,what went ye out into  

the wilderness to behold8  ,a reed      
shaken with the wind8  ,the language of 
the ,bible is so picturesque1 so full of
 natural imagery1 that it appeals to    
every age1 and speaks in every language 
of the world4  ,if its descriptions of  
character had been given in the language
 of the philosopher or academist1 what  
was intelligible to one age would have  
been perplexing or meaningless to the   
next4  ,remember that the long gallery  
in the ,pyramids1 which was directed to 
the pole-star when they were            
constructed1 is now hopelessly out of   
course1 because the position of the     
pole-star1 in relation to the earth1 has
 so entirely altered2 and what is true  
among the spheres is true in the use of 
terms4  ,but the ,word of ,god employs  
natural figures and parables1 which the 
wayfaring man1 though a fool1           
comprehends at a glance4  ,who1 for     
instance1 on a gusty ,march day1 has not
 watched the wind blowing lustily across
 a marsh or the reedy margin of a lake1 

compelling all the reeds to stoop in the
 same direction8  ,has one resisted the 
current or stood stoutly forth in       
protesting non-compliance8  ,has one    
dared to adopt an unbending posture8    
,not one4 ,they have been as obsequious 
as were all the king's servants that    
were in the king's gate to the imperious
 ,haman when he happened to enter the   
palace4  ,thus1 when our ,lord asked the
 people whether ,john resembled a reed  
shaken by the wind1 and implied their   
answer in the negative1 could ,he have  
more clearly indicated one of the most  
salient characteristics of ,john's      
career--his daring singularity1 his     
independence of mere custom and fashion1
 his determination to follow out the    
pattern of his own life as ,god revealed
 it to him8  ,in this he resembles the  
good ,nehemiah1 when he refers to the   
usual practice of men of his position1  
and says1 ,so did not ,i1 because of the
 fear of the ,lord2 or the three young  
men who1 when all the myriads fell down 

and worshipped ,nebuchadnezzar's golden 
image1 remained erect4  ,in the         
singularity of his dress and food2 in   
the originality of his message and      
demand for baptism2 in his independence 
of the religious teachers and schools of
 his time2 in his refusal to countenance
 the flagrant sins of the various       
classes of the community1 and especially
 in his uncompromising denunciation of  
,herod's sin--he proved himself to be as
 a sturdy oak in the forest of ,bashan1 
or a deeply-rooted cedar in ,lebanon1   
and not as a reed shaken by the wind4   
,many a saintly soul has followed him   
since along this difficult and lonely   
track4  ,indeed1 it is the ordinary path
 for most of the choicest spirits of    
these ,christian centuries4  ,i do not  
say of all1 because the great ,gardener 
has his violets and lilies in sheltered 
spots2 but certainly most of the trees  
of his right-hand planting have not     
stood thickly-planted in the sheltered  
woodland1 but have braved the winds     

sweeping in at the gates of the hills4  
,you1 my reader1 admire1 but feel you   
cannot follow4  ,when your companions   
and friends are speaking depreciating   
and ungenerous words of some public man 
whom you love2 when unkind and          
scandalous stories are being passed from
 lip to lip2 when a storm of execration 
and hatred is being poured on a cause1  
which in your heart you favour and      
espouse--you find it easier to bow      
before the gale1 with all the other     
reeds around you1 than to enter your    
protest1 even though you stand alone4   
,yet the reed thrust by the soldiers    
into the hands of ,christ may become the
 rod of iron with which ,he rules the   
nations4  ,he can take the most pliant  
and yielding natures1 and make them1 as 
,he made ,jeremiah1 a defenced city1 and
 an iron pillar1 and brazen walls1      
against the whole land4  ,thou canst    
not2 but ,he can4  ,he will strengthen  
thee2 yea1 ,he will help thee2 yea1 ,he 
will uphold thee with the right hand of 

his righteousness4  ,keep looking       
steadfastly up to ,him1 that ,he may    
teach thy hands to war1 and thy fingers 
to fight2 for thou shalt be able to do  
all things through ,him that            
strengtheneth thee4  7#b7 ,his          
simplicity4  ,a second time the ,master 
asked the people what they went forth   
into the wilderness to behold2 and by   
his question implied that ,john was no  
,sybarite clothed in soft raiment1 and  
feasting in luxury1 but a strong1 pure  
soul1 that had learnt the secret of     
self-denial and self-control4  ,too many
 of us are inclined to put on the soft  
raiment of self-indulgence and luxury4  
,we are the slaves of fashion1 or we are
 perpetually considering what we shall  
eat1 what we shall drink1 and with what 
we shall be clothed3 or we act as though
 we supposed that life consisted in the 
number of things we possessed1 and the  
variety of servants that waited upon us3
 whereas the exact contrary is the case4
  ,the real happiness of life consists  

not in increasing our possessions1 but  
in limiting our wants4  ,to all my young
 brothers and sisters who may read this 
page1 and who have yet the making of    
their lives in their own hands1 ,i would
 say1 with all my heart1 learn to do    
without the soft clothing and the many  
servants which characterise kings'      
courts4  ,at table have your eye on the 
simpler dishes1 those which supply the  
maximum of nutriment and strength1 and  
do not allow your choice to be          
determined by what pleases the palate or
 gratifies the taste4  ,a young friend  
stood me out the other day against some 
article of diet1 which was acknowledged 
to be the more nutritious 7it was       
whole-meal bread71 because another was  
sweeter and more palatable 7some white1 
light ,french rolls1 from which all the 
nutriment had been extracted74  ,this is
 the deliberate preference of the fare  
of kings' courts to ,daniel's pulse and 
the ,baptist's locusts and wild honey4  
,please note1 here1 that there was      

nothing inconsistent in his taking      
honey4  ,we are not to refuse a certain 
diet because it is pleasant2 but we are 
not to choose it because it is so4  ,so 
with dress4  ,our ,master does not      
require of us to dress grotesquely1 or  
to attract notice by the singularity and
 grotesqueness of our attire4  ,we must 
dress suitably and in conformity with   
that station in life to which ,he has   
called us4  ,but what a difference there
 is between making our dress our main   
consideration1 and considering first and
 foremost the attire of the soul in     
meekness and truth1 purity and          
unselfishness4  ,they who are set upon  
these may be trusted to put the other in
 the right place4  ,but1 on the whole1  
the truly consecrated soul should study 
simplicity4  ,it should not endeavour to
 attract notice by glaring colours or   
extravagant display4  ,it ought not to  
seek a large variety of dresses and     
costumes1 but be satisfied with what may
 be really needed for the exigencies of 

climate and health4  ,let it take no    
pleasure in vying with others1 because  
dress is a question of utility and not  
of pride4  ,on the whole1 we should set 
our faces against the soft raiment which
 enervates the health1 and unfits us to 
stretch out our hands in ready help to  
those who need assistance along the     
highways of life4  ,so with service4    
,it is not well to depend on others4    
,if it is part of our lot to be         
surrounded by servants1 let us accept   
their offices with grace and kindliness1
 but never allow ourselves to lean on   
them4  ,we should know how to do        
everything for ourselves1 and be        
prepared to do it whenever it is        
necessary4  ,of course1 with some of us1
 it is essential that we should have    
servants1 that we may be set free to do 
the special work of our lives4  ,nothing
 would be more unfortunate than that    
those who are highly gifted in some     
special direction should fritter away   
their time and strength in doing trifles

 which others could do for them equally 
well4  ,to think of a physician whose   
consulting room was crowded with        
patients needing help which he alone1 of
 all men living1 could give1 spending   
the precious morning hours in the       
minutiae of household arrangements1     
blacking his boots1 or preparing his    
food6  ,let these things be left to     
those who cannot do the higher work to  
which he is called4  ,this is the secret
 of making the best of your life4       
,discover what you can do best--the one 
thing which you are called to do for    
others1 and which probably no one else  
can do so well4  ,set yourself to do    
this1 devolving on voluntary or paid    
helpers all that they can do as well as1
 and perhaps better than1 yourself4  ,it
 was in this spirit that the apostles   
said1 ,it is not fit that we should     
forsake the ,word of ,god and serve     
tables4  ,look ye out1 therefore1 men   
444 whom we may appoint over this       
business2 but we will continue          

steadfastly in prayer1 and in the       
ministry of the ,word4  ,it is specially
 the temptation of ,eastern life1 where 
the climate is enervating and service is
 cheap and plentiful1 to seek the soft  
raiment and the large assistance of     
attendants1 and it is almost impossible 
to yield to one or the other without    
relaxing the fibre of the soul4  ,the   
temptation is always around us2 and it  
is well to look carefully into our life 
from time to time1 to be quite sure1    
lest almost insensibly its strong       
energetic spirit may not be in process  
of deterioration--as the soldiers of    
,hannibal in the plains of ,capua4  ,if 
so1 resolve to do without1 not for      
merit's sake1 but to conserve the       
strength and simplicity of your soul4   
7#c7 ,his noble office4  ,but wherefore 
went ye out8--to see a prophet8 ,yea1 ,i
 say unto you1 and much more than a     
prophet4  ,nothing is more difficult    
than to measure men while they are      
living4  ,whilst the fascination of     

their presence and the music of their   
voice are in the air1 we are apt to     
exaggerate their worth4  ,the mountain  
towers so far above us that we are apt1 
in the absence of other mountains1 or in
 our too great proximity to it1 to think
 of it as the greatest of all the       
mountain-range4  ,but it is not so1 as  
we discover when we remove further4     
,but subsequent ages1 so far from       
correcting1 have only confirmed our     
,saviour's estimate of his ,forerunner4 
,we are able to locate him in the       
,divine economy4  ,he was a prophet1    
yes1 and much more4  ,to employ the     
predictive words of ,malachi1 he was    
,jehovah's messenger1 the courier who   
announced the advent of the ,king1 the  
last of the prophets--for all the       
prophets and the law prophesied until   
,john--and the herald of that new and   
greater era1 whose gates he opened1 but 
into which he was not permitted to      
enter4  ,but our ,lord went further1 and
 did not hesitate to class ,john with   

the greatest of those born of woman4    
,he was absolutely in the front rank4   
,he may have had peers1 but no          
superiors2 equals1 but no over-lords4   
,who may be classed with him1 we cannot1
 dare not1 say4  ,but probably ,abraham1
 ,moses1 ,paul4  ,there hath not arisen 
a greater than ,john the ,baptist4  ,no 
brighter star shines in the celestial   
firmament than that of this brief young 
life1 which had only time enough to     
proclaim the advent of the ,lord1 and   
after some brief six months of ministry 
by the ,jordan1 followed by twelve      
months in the gaol1 waned here to shine 
in undimming brilliancy yonder4  ,there 
was a further tribute paid by our ,lord 
to his noble servant4 ,some two or three
 centuries before1 ,malachi had foretold
 that ,elijah1 the prophet1 would be    
sent before the great and terrible day  
of the ,lord came2 and the ,jews were   
always on the outlook for his coming4   
,even to the present day a chair is set 
for him at their religious feasts4      

,this is what was meant when they asked 
the ,baptist1 at the commencement of his
 ministry1 if he were ,elijah4  ,he     
shrank1 as we have seen1 from assuming  
so great a name1 though he could not    
have refused the challenge1 had it been 
worded to include the spirit and power  
of the great prophet of ,thisbe4  ,but  
here our ,lord went beyond ,john's own  
modest1 self-depreciating estimate1 and 
declared1 ,if ye are willing to receive 
it1 this is ,elijah which is to come4   
,as ,he descended from the ,mount of    
,transfiguration1 ,he returned to the   
same subject3 ,and they asked ,him1     
saying1 ,the scribes say that ,elijah   
must first come4  ,and ,he said unto    
them1 ,elijah indeed cometh first1 and  
restoreth all things4444  ,but ,i say   
unto you that ,elijah is come1 and they 
have also done unto him whatsoever they 
listed1 even as it is written of him    
7,mark ix4 #i-ac74   ,,iii4  ,,the      
,,master',s ,,reservation4  ,let us     
again quote ,his memorable words3 ,among

 them that are born of women there hath 
not arisen a greater than ,john the     
,baptist2 yet he that is but little in  
the ,kingdom of heaven is greater than  
he 7,matt4 xi4 #aa1 ,r4,v474  ,the      
greatness of ,john the ,baptist shone   
out in conspicuous beauty in his meek   
confession of inferiority4  ,it is      
always a sign of the greatest knowledge1
 when its possessor confesses himself to
 be as a child picking up shells on the 
shores of a boundless ocean4  ,and the  
,baptist's greatness was revealed in the
 lowliness of his self-estimate4  ,when 
the ,lord ,jesus summarized his own     
character ,he said1 ,i am meek and lowly
 in heart4  ,in doing so ,he expressed  
the character of ,god2 for ,he was the  
,revealer of ,god1 the brightness of his
 glory1 and the express image of his    
person4  ,he was ,god manifested in     
flesh4  ,he was not only the ,son of    
,god1 ,he was ,god the ,son3 ,he that   
hath seen ,me hath seen the ,father4  ,i
 and the ,father are one4  ,the         

greatness of ,john was proved in this1  
that like his ,lord he was meek and     
lowly in heart4  ,neither before nor    
since has a son of ,adam lived in whom  
these divine qualities were more        
evident4  ,no sublimer1 no more         
,god-like utterance ever passed the lips
 of man than ,john's answer to his      
disciples3 ,a man can receive nothing   
except it have been given him from      
heaven4  ,he must increase1 but ,i must 
decrease 7see the whole passage1 ,john  
iii4 #bg-cf74  ,the very same spirit of 
meekness was speaking in ,john as acted 
in his ,lord1 when1 knowing that the    
,pharisees had heard that ,jesus was    
making and baptizing more disciples than
 ,john 7though ,jesus ,himself baptized 
not1 but his disciples71 ,he left ,judea
 and departed into ,galilee4  ,what     
divisions might have been avoided in the
 ,church had his people followed his    
example6  ,but there was no man1 not    
even the apostle ,john or ,paul1 whose  
spirit accorded more exactly with the   

,master's than his faithful and         
self-effacing herald and forerunner1    
,john the ,baptist4  ,it might well be  
said1 that of them that were born of    
women there had not arisen a greater    
than he4  ,but what was in our ,lord's  
thought when ,he made the reservation1  
,yet he that is but little in the       
,kingdom of heaven is greater than he8  
,it has been suggested that the ,lord   
was speaking of ,john not only as a man1
 but as a prophet1 and that this        
declaration applies more particularly to
 ,john as a prophet4  ,the words of the 
evangelist ,luke are noticeable--,there 
hath not risen a greater prophet than   
,john the ,baptist3 because to balance  
the sentence it seems needful to supply 
the word prophet in the second          
clause--,the least prophet in the       
,kingdom of heaven is a greater prophet 
than he4  ,john could say1 ,behold the  
,lamb of ,god2 but the least of those   
who1 being scattered abroad1 went       
everywhere proclaiming the word of the  

,kingdom1 preached ,jesus and the       
resurrection4  ,but there is another way
 of interpreting ,christ's words4  ,john
 ushered in the ,kingdom1 but was not in
 it4  ,he proclaimed a condition of     
blessedness in which he was not         
permitted to have a part4  ,and the     
,lord says that to be in that ,kingdom  
gives the opportunity of attaining to a 
greatness which the great souls outside 
its precincts cannot lay claim to4      
,there is a greatness which comes from  
nature1 and another greatness from      
circumstances4  ,the child on the       
mountain is higher than the giant in the
 valley4  ,the boy in our village       
schools knows more on certain subjects  
than ,socrates or ,confucius1 the       
greatest sages of the world4  ,the least
 instructed in the ,kingdom of heaven is
 privileged to see and hear the things  
which prophets and kings longed and     
waited for in vain4  ,the least in the  
higher dispensation may know and        
understand more than the loftiest souls 

of the dispensations that have preceded4
  ,and may there not be even more than  
this8  ,the character of ,john was      
strong1 grand in its wild               
magnificence--like some ,alpine crag1   
with the pines on its slopes and the    
deep dark lake at its foot2 he had      
courage1 resolution1 an iron will1 a    
loftiness of soul that could hold       
commerce with the unseen and eternal4   
,he was a man capable of vast heights   
and depths4  ,he could hold fellowship  
with the eternal ,god as a man speaks   
with his friend1 and could suffer       
unutterable agonies in self-questioning 
and depression4  ,but is this the       
loftiest ideal of character8  ,is it the
 most desirable and blessed8  ,assuredly
 not2 and this may have been in the     
,saviour's mind when ,he made his       
notable reservation4  ,to come neither  
eating nor drinking2 to be stern1       
reserved1 and lonely2 to live apart from
 the homes of men1 to be the severe and 
unflinching rebuker of other men's      

sins--this was not the loftiest pattern 
of human character4  ,there was         
something better1 as is manifest in our 
,lord's own perfect manhood4  ,the      
balance of quality2 the power to        
converse with ,god1 mated with the      
tenderness that enters the homes of men1
 wipes the tears of those that mourn1   
and gathers little children to its side2
 that has an ear for every complaint1   
and a balm of comfort for every         
heart-break2 that pities and soothes1   
teaches and leads2 that is able not only
 to commune with ,god alone in the      
desert1 but brings ,him into the        
lowliest deeds and commonplaces of human
 life--this is the type of character    
which is characteristic of the ,kingdom 
of heaven4  ,it is described best in    
those inimitable beatitudes which       
canonize1 not the stern and rugged1 but 
the sweet and tender1 the humble and    
meek2 and stamp ,heaven's tenderest     
smile on virtues which had hardly found 
a place in the strong and gritty        

character of the ,baptist4  ,yes1 there 
is more to be had by the humble heart   
than ,john possessed or taught4  ,the   
passive as well as the active2 the glen 
equally with the bare mountain peak2 the
 feminine with the masculine2 the power 
to wait and be still1 combined with the 
swift rush to capture the position2 the 
cross of shame as well as the throne of 
power4  ,and if thou art the least in   
the ,kingdom of ,god1 all this may be   
thine1 by the ,holy ,spirit1 who        
introduces the very nature of the ,son  
of ,man into the heart that loves ,him  
truly4  ,he that is least in the        
,kingdom of heaven is greater than he4  
,,xiii4  ,a ,burning and ,shining ,lamp4
  7,,john ,v4 #ce47              ,men as
 men   ,can reach no higher than the    
,son of ,god1   ,the ,perfect ,head and 
,pattern of ,mankind4   ,the time is    
short1 and thus sufficeth us   ,to live 
and die by2 and in ,him again   ,we see 
the same first starry attribute1        
',perfect through suffering1' our       

salvation's seal1   ,set in the front of
 ,his humanity4444             ,,mrs4   
,,hamilton ,,king4   ,the               
,rest-,day--,the ,light of              
,life--,shining1 because ,burning--,let 
your ,light ,shine--,a ,light in the    
,darkness   ,our ,master1 ,christ1 was  
on his trial4  ,he was challenged by the
 religious leaders of the people because
 ,he had dared to heal a man and to     
command him to carry his bed--his straw 
pallet--on the ,sabbath day4 ,he was    
therefore accused1 and1 so to speak1 put
 in his defence4  ,of course we must not
 for a moment think that our ,lord was  
lax in his observance of the ,sabbath1  
but simply that ,he desired to          
emancipate the day from the intolerable 
burdens and restrictions with which the 
,jewish leaders had surrounded it4  ,it 
was his desire to show1 for all after   
time1 that the ,sabbath was made for    
useful purposes1 and specially for deeds
 of mercy1 beneficence1 and gentle      
kindness4  ,the ,lord ,jesus was        

maligned and persecuted because ,he was 
the ,emancipator of the ,sabbath day    
from foolish and mistaken notions of    
sanctity4  ,it is of the greatest       
importance that we should do what we may
 to conserve one rest-day in seven to   
our country and our world2 and ,i cannot
 help noticing in the story of the life 
of the great statesman and ,christian1  
who recently passed from us1 how careful
 he was to guard the day from           
unnecessary intrusion4  ,it has been    
attested by those who knew him well1    
that physically1 intellectually1 and    
spiritually1 the ,lord's day to him was 
a priceless blessing4  ,let your rest on
 the one rest-day consist1 not in       
lolling idly and carelessly1 but in     
turning your faculties in some other    
direction2 because the truest rest is to
 be found1 not in luxurious ease1 but in
 using the fresh vigour of your life in 
other compartments of the brain than    
those which have been worn by the       
demands of the six days4  ,then1 fresh  

from the ,sunday-school class1 the      
worship of the church1 and the sermon1  
you will return to the desk or office1  
or whatever may be your toil1 with new  
and rejuvenated strength4  ,there is a  
great distinction between shining and   
burning3 shining is the light-giving1   
the illuminating1 that comes forth from 
the enkindled wick2 but it cannot shine 
unless it burns4  ,the candle that gives
 light wastes inch by inch as it gives  
it4  ,the very wick of your lamp1 that  
conducts the oil to the flame1 chars1   
and you have to cut it off bit by bit   
until the longest coil is at length     
exhausted4  ,we must never forget that1 
if we would shine1 we must burn4  ,too  
many of us want to shine1 but are not   
prepared to pay the cost that must be   
faced by every true man that wants to   
illuminate his time4  ,we must burn down
 until there is but an eighth of an inch
 left in the candlestick1 till the light
 flickers a little and drops1 makes one 
more eager effort1 and then ceases to   

shine--a burning and shining light4     
,obviously1 then1 we have first the     
comparison between ,john and the candle1
 or lamp2 then we have the necessary    
expenditure1 burning to shine2 and1     
thirdly1 we have the misuse that people 
may make of their opportunities4   ,i4  
,,the ,,lord',s ,,comparison4--,john was
 a burning and shining lamp4  ,in the   
original a great contrast is suggested  
between lamp1 as it is given in the     
,revised ,version1 and light4  ,the ,old
 ,version put it thus3 ,he was a burning
 and shining light2 but the ,revised    
,version puts it thus3 ,he was a burning
 and shining lamp2 and there is a       
considerable difference between the two4
  ,in the first chapter of the ,gospel1 
the apostle ,john tells us1 speaking of 
the ,baptist1 that he was not that      
,light1 but was sent to bear witness of 
that ,light1 that all men through him   
,john might believe4  ,that was the     
,true ,light1 which lighteth every man  
coming into the world4  ,jesus ,christ  

is the ,light of the ,world2 and ,i     
believe that in every age ,he has been  
waiting to illumine the hearts and      
spirits of men1 reminding us of the     
expression in the ,book of              
,proverbs--and it is wonderfully        
significant--,the spirit of man is the  
candle of the ,lord4  ,here is a candle1
 yonder is the wick2 but it gives no    
light4  ,the air may be full of         
luminousness1 but as yet it has found no
 point on which to kindle and from which
 to irradiate4  ,but1 see1 of a sudden  
the light gathers to the candle-wick1   
which had stood helpless and useless1   
touches it1 and it begins to shine with 
a light not its own4  ,it is borrowed   
light1 caught from some burning cone of 
flame4  ,men are born into the world    
like so many unlighted candles4  ,they  
may stand in chaste candlesticks1 all of
 gold or silver1 of common tin or       
porcelain4  ,but all are by nature      
unlit4  ,on the other hand1 ,jesus      
,christ1 the ,light of men1 waits with  

yearning desire1 and1 as each successive
 generation passes across the stage of  
human life1 ,he is prepared to illumine 
the spirits which are intended to be the
 candles of the ,lord4  ,in these ages  
,he illumines us with the ,gospel2 but  
,i believe that all moral intuitions1   
all instincts of immortality1 all       
cravings after ,god1 all gropings in the
 dark for the true ,light1 all helpful  
moral revolutions which have swept over 
mankind1 have been the result of his    
influence1 who1 as the true ,light1     
lighteth every man coming into the      
world4  ,whenever and wherever a man has
 flamed up with unusual fervour and     
spiritual power1 with a desire to help  
his fellows1 and has shone like a torch1
 we must believe that he was illumined  
by the ,son of ,god1 the ,wisdom of the 
,book of ,proverbs1 whom he may not have
 known1 but whom he would recognise as  
soon as he crossed the portal of the    
,new ,jerusalem4  ,he lighteth every    
man2 ,he is willing to illumine every   

man that comes into the world4  ,this   
conception casts a considerable light on
 some of the enigmas of human           
experience4  ,we have known illiterate1 
uncultured men1 without many gifts of   
style or grace of speech1 yet they have 
shone to such an extent that every one  
in their neighbourhood has been lit by  
the radiance that has streamed from     
them4  ,on the other hand1 we have met  
men who have passed through a college   
course and been carefully trained for   
their life-work2 important pulpits and  
opportunities of great usefulness have  
been opened to them2 but their lives    
have been a disappointment4  ,why8  ,ah1
 the answer is easy4  ,the former class 
were as candles1 made of ordinary wax1  
and placed in inconspicuous             
candle-sticks1 which had been ignited by
 the fire of ,god through the ,holy     
,spirit2 and the latter were like       
exquisitely prepared candlesticks1 the  
candles in which had never been kindled 
by the fire of ,god4  ,there are        

hundreds of professing ,christians1 and 
some may read these pages1 who have     
never really been kindled2 who have     
never been touched by the ,son of ,god2 
who do not know what it is to shine with
 his light and to burn with his fire4   
,what is the process of lighting8  ,the 
wick of the candle is simply brought    
into contact with the flame1 and the    
flame leaps to it1 kindles on it1       
without parting with any of its vigour  
or heat1 and continues to burn1 drawing 
to itself the nourishment which the     
candle supplies4  ,so let ,jesus ,christ
 touch you4  ,believe in the ,light1    
that you may become a child of the      
,light4  ,take off the extinguisher2    
cast away your prejudice2 put off those 
misconceptions2 have done with those    
unworthy habits2 putting them all aside1
 let ,jesus kindle you4  ,arise1 shine2 
for thy light is come4 ,awake1 thou that
 sleepest1 and arise from the dead1 and 
,christ shall give thee light4  ,we were
 kindled that we might kindle others4   

,i would like1 if ,i might have my      
choice1 to burn steadily down1 with no  
guttering waste1 and as ,i do so to     
communicate ,god's fire to as many unlit
 candles as possible2 and to burn on    
steadily until the socket comes in view1
 then to light1 in the last flicker1    
twenty1 thirty1 or a hundred candles at 
once2 so that as one expires they may   
begin burning and spreading light which 
shall shine till ,jesus comes4  ,get    
light from ,christ1 then share it2 and  
remember that it is the glory of fire   
that one little candle may go on        
lighting hundreds of candles--one       
insignificant taper may light all the   
lamps of a cathedral church1 and yet not
 be robbed of its own little glow of    
flame4  ,andrew was lit by ,christ      
,himself1 and passed on the flame to    
,simon ,peter1 and he to three thousand 
more on the ,day of ,pentecost4  ,every 
,christian soul illumined by the grace  
of ,god thus becomes1 as ,john the      
,baptist was1 a lamp4  ,but there is    

always the same impassable chasm between
 these and the ,lord4  ,they are        
derived2 ,he is original4  ,they need to
 be sustained and fed2 ,he is the       
fountain of ,light3 because1 as the     
,father hath life in ,himself1 ,he hath 
given to ,him also to have life in      
,himself1 and his life is the light of  
men4   ,,ii4  ,,the ,,inevitable        
,,expenditure4--,he was a burning and   
shining lamp4 ,if you would shine1 you  
must burn4  ,the ambition to shine is   
universal2 but all are not prepared to  
pay the price by which alone they can   
acquire the right to give the true light
 of life4  ,there are plenty of students
 who would win all the prizes1 and wear 
all the honours1 apart from days and    
nights of toil2 but they find it a vain 
ambition4  ,before a man can become     
,senior ,wrangler he must have burnt1   
not only the midnight oil1 but some of  
the very fibre of his soul4 ,conspicuous
 positions in the literary and          
scientific world are less the reward of 

genius than of laborious1 soul-consuming
 toil4  ,the great chemist will work    
sixteen hours out of twenty-four4  ,the 
illustrious author acquires1 by profound
 research1 the materials which he weaves
 into his brilliant page4  ,such men    
shine because they burn4  ,but this is  
pre-eminently the principle in the      
service of ,christ4  ,it was so with the
 ,lord ,himself4  ,he shone1 and his    
beams have illumined myriads of darkened
 souls1 and shall yet bring dawn        
throughout the world2 but1 ah1 how ,he  
burned6  ,the disciples remembered that 
it was written of ,him3 ,the zeal of thy
 house hath eaten ,me up4  ,he suffered1
 that ,he might serve4  ,he would not   
save ,himself1 because ,he was bent on  
saving others4  ,he ascended to the     
throne because ,he spared not ,himself  
from the cruel tree4  ,pilate marvelled 
that his death came so soon1 and sent   
for the centurion to be certified that  
in so few hours ,he had succumbed4  ,but
 he did not realize that in three short 

years ,he had expended his vital        
strength so utterly1 that there was no  
reserve to fall back upon4  ,there had  
been an inward consumption1 an          
exhaustion of nervous power1 a wearing  
down of the springs of vitality4  ,he   
shone because of the fire that burned   
within ,him4  ,it was so with the great 
apostle1 who said that he filled up that
 which was lacking in the afflictions of
 ,christ1 not of course that there was  
any lack in the work of propitiation    
which required his further help1 but    
that the saints are called to share with
 their ,lord his sorrows for men1 his   
tears1 to lift the burdens and crosses  
of others1 to give of their very        
life-blood for the replenishing of the  
exhausted fountains of human faith1 and 
hope1 and love4  ,paul gave freely of   
his best4  ,he shone because he never   
hesitated to burn4  ,remember how he    
affirmed that he was pressed down1      
perplexed1 pursued1 and always bore     
about in his body the dying of the ,lord

 ,jesus1 that the life of ,jesus might  
be manifested in his mortal flesh4  ,the
 price paid for the life that wrought in
 the hearts of his converts was that    
death should work in himself4  ,all the 
saints have passed through similar      
experiences4  ,they knew1 as ,cranmer   
said1 that they could never hope to     
kindle a fire that should never be put  
out1 unless they were prepared to stand 
steadily at the stake and give their    
bodies to be burned4  ,but they counted 
not their lives dear unto them1 if they 
might but finish their course with joy1 
and the ministry which they had received
 of the ,lord ,jesus1 to testify the    
,gospel of the grace of ,god4  ,the men 
and women who shine as beacon-lights    
across the centuries are those whose    
tears were their meat day and night1    
whose prayers rose with strong cryings  
and tears2 while1 as with ,palissy1 the 
,huguenot potter1 the very furniture of 
the house was brought out to feed the   
flame in which the precious glaze was   

being precipitated4  ,if the ,christian 
worker longs to benefit the poor slum   
district in which he is located1 he must
 be prepared to live amongst the people 
and expend himself4  ,presently1 in his 
hollow cheeks1 his sallow complexion1   
his attenuated form1 his diminishing    
strength1 you will see that he is paying
 the price for his #ajj-;candle         
illuminating power1 because he is being 
consumed4  ,every successful worker for 
,god must learn that lesson4  ,you must 
be prepared to suffer2 you can only help
 men when you die for them4  ,if you    
desire to save others you cannot save   
yourself2 you must be prepared to fall  
into the ground and die1 if you would   
not abide alone3 there must be with you1
 as with ,paul1 the decaying of the     
outward man1 that the inward man may be 
renewed day by day4  ,you must be       
prepared to say with him1 ,death worketh
 in us1 but life in you4  ,if you burn1 
you will shine4  ,the burning and the   
shining do not always go together2 often

 the burning goes on a long time without
 much illumination resulting from the   
expenditure4  ,those who are rich in    
gifts and natural endowments cast in    
much1 and the poor cast in all their    
living2 this they continue to do1 year  
after year1 and none seems to heed the  
awful cost at which their testimony is  
given4  ,moreover1 to use a well-known  
phrase1 the game hardly seems worth the 
candle4  ,the area they influence is so 
limited1 the souls affected so few1 the 
glimmer of their light1 like a          
street-lamp in a fog1 hardly reaches    
across the street or to the ground4     
,sometimes it appears only to make the  
darkness denser and thicker4  ,in many  
cases1 the saints of ,god have burnt    
down to the last film of vital energy   
and expired1 and there has been no      
shining that the world has taken        
cognisance of4  ,their bitter complaint 
has been1 ,i have laboured in vain2 ,i  
have spent my strength for nought1 and  
in vain4  ,but even these shall shine4  

,they shall shine as the stars for ever 
and ever in that world where all holy   
and faithful souls obtain their due4    
,let us see to the burning2 ,god will   
see to the shining4  ,it is ours to feed
 the sacred heaven-enkindled flame with 
the daily fuel of the ,word of ,god and 
holy service2 and ,god will see to it   
that no ray of power or love is wasted4 
,he will place reflectors around us1 to 
catch up and repeat the influences that 
proceed from us4  ,the ,lord was with   
,samuel1 and did let none of his words  
fall to the ground4  ,it is ours to keep
 in company with the risen ,lord1       
listening to ,him as ,he opens to us the
 ,scriptures1 until our hearts burn     
within us2 then1 as we hasten to tell   
what we have seen1 tasted1 and handled  
of the ,word of ,life1 there will be a  
glow on our faces1 whether we know it or
 not2 and men shall say of us3 ,they    
have been with ,jesus4  ,if we think    
only of the shining1 we shall probably  
miss both it and the burning4  ,but if  

we devote ourselves to the burning1 even
 though it involve the hidden work of   
the mine1 the stoke-hole1 and the       
furnace-room1 there will be the raying  
forth of a light that cannot be hid4    
,where there is the burning heat1 there 
must be the soft1 gleaming light4  ,let 
there be but summer1 and the flowers    
cover the land4  ,for the burning and   
the shining1 ,god will provide the fuel4
  ,the fire which burnt in the bush     
needed no fuel2 the bush was not        
consumed4 ,with us there is perpetual   
need for the nourishment of the fire of 
love and the light of life by the       
administration of appropriate fuel4     
,the oil must be supplied to the lamp4  
,the fire cannot be kept burning on the 
altar apart from the incessant care and 
attention of the priests4 ,but be of    
good cheer2 ,he who hath begun a good   
work in you will perfect it unto the day
 of ,jesus ,christ4  ,all grace will be 
made to abound towards you1 that you may
 have all sufficiency for all things1   

and abound to every good work4  ,the    
,lord will give grace and glory2 no good
 thing will ,he withhold from them that 
walk uprightly4  ,god will supply all   
your need1 according to his riches in   
glory1 by ,christ ,jesus4  ,it is       
especially helpful to ponder the full   
import of the phrase--the supply of the 
,spirit of ,jesus ,christ4  ,it is as   
though we had access to one of those    
oil-wells of the west1 which seem       
practically inexhaustible4  ,it is a    
wonderful thing how often ,god puts his 
lighted candles in the cellar4  ,we     
would have supposed that ,he would have 
placed a man like ,john on a pedestal or
 a throne1 that his influence might     
reach as far as possible4  ,instead of  
that ,he allowed him to spend the       
precious months of his brief life in    
prison4  ,and the lamp flickered        
somewhat in the pestilential damp4  ,it 
may be that this is your place also4    
,in the silence of a sick chamber1 in   
the obscurity of some country parish1   

amid obloquy and hatred1 you are doomed 
to spend your slowly-moving years4  ,it 
seems such a waste4  ,loneliness and    
depression are hard to endure2 but the  
consciousness of accomplishing so       
little1 though at such cost1 is very    
painful4  ,this is your cellar-life1    
your dungeon experience4  ,remember that
 ,joseph and ,rutherford1 ,john ,bunyan 
and ,madame ,guyon1 have been there     
before you4  ,probably1 because the     
cellar is so very dark1 ,god wants to   
station a candle there1 and has placed  
you there because you can accomplish a  
work for ,him1 and for others1 of       
priceless importance4  ,where is the    
light needed so much as on a dark       
landing or a sunken reef8  ,go on       
shining1 and you will find some day that
 ,god will make that cellar a pedestal  
out of which your light shall stream    
over the world2 for it was out of his   
prison cell that ,john illuminated the  
age in which his lot was cast1 quite as 
much as from his rock-pulpit beside the 

,jordan4  ,i would have you know1       
brethren1 said the apostle1 that the    
things which happened unto me have      
fallen out rather unto the progress of  
the ,gospel1 so that my bonds became    
manifest in ,christ throughout the      
,praetorian guard 7,phil4 i4 #ab1 #ac1  
,r4,v474   ,,iii4  ,,christ',s ,,warning
 ,,against ,,the ,,misuse ,,of          
,,opportunities4--,ye were willing for a
 season to rejoice in his light4  ,the  
,greek word rendered rejoice has in it  
the idea of moths playing around a      
candle1 or of children dancing around a 
torch-light1 as it burns lower and      
lower4  ,it is as though a light were   
given to men for an hour1 for them to   
use for some high and sacred purpose1   
but they employ it for dancing and      
card-playing1 instead of girding up     
their loins to serious tasks4  ,you were
 willing1 says the ,master1 in effect1  
to rejoice1 to dance and sing1 in his   
light4  ,you treated his ministry as a  
pastime4  ,as long as he spoke to you   

about the coming ,kingdom1 you listened 
and were glad2 but when he began to call
 you to repentance and warn you of wrath
 to come1 you left him4  ,he is now like
 an almost extinguished lamp4  ,his hour
 is all but done4  ,the brief space he  
was sent to occupy has been fulfilled4  
,behold1 the night cometh1 when no man  
can work4  ,the ministry of the ,gospel 
is but for an hour4  ,the story of man  
may be compared to a brief day 7#a ,cor4
 iv4 #c1 marg41 ,r4,v472 and in that day
 the proclamation of the good news from 
,god occupies but a very limited space4 
,the hour-glass was turned when ,jesus  
ascended1 and it is more than likely    
that the last grains are running        
through2 then the cry of the herald     
shall be hushed1 and the servants'      
voices will be no more heard in the     
streets inviting to the marriage supper1
 and there shall be none to break or    
distribute the bread of life4  ,with    
what eager care men should prize these  
fleeting opportunities1 not listening to

 the preacher's voice1 as of one that   
can make a pleasant sound from the harp 
or organ--not seeking merely the delight
 of the ear or intellect2 but taking    
heed to hear for eternity1 receiving in 
meek and retentive hearts the precious  
grain as it falls from the sower's hand1
 and giving diligence that the best     
possible results may accrue4  ,oh1      
children of the sunny market-place1     
playing giddily throughout the long     
afternoon1 take heed lest your          
opportunities of preparing for the      
serious work of life slip away          
unimproved1 and you find yourselves face
 to face with death and judgment without
 a screen1 without hope1 and without    
,god4  ,john murdered in prison2 ,jesus 
nailed to the cross2 the apostles and   
martyrs done to death on the scaffold   
and at the stake--and the ship drifting 
on the rocks1 without a warning voice to
 arouse the thoughtless crowd of        
dice-throwers and dancers to the        
certainty and nearness of their doom6   

,,xiv4  ,set at ,liberty4  7,,mark ,,vi4
 #bg47    ,hush my soul1 and vain       
regrets be stilled2   ,now rest in ,him 
who is the complement   ,of whatsoe'er  
transcends our mortal doom1   ,of       
baffled hope and unfulfilled intent2    
,in the clear vision and aspect of whom 
,all longings and all hopes shall be    
fulfilled4             ,,archbishop     
,,trench4   ,the ,genesis of a ,great   
,crime--,the ,strength of ,evil         
,influences--,an ,accomplice of         
,satan--,the ,triumph of ,hate--,the    
,baptist ,beheaded--,a ,place of        
,repentance   ,the evangelist ,mark     
tells us1 in the twenty-first verse of  
this chapter1 that ,herod on his        
birthday made a supper to his lords1 and
 the high captains1 and the chief men of
 ,galilee4  ,now1 of course1 ,galilee1  
over which ,herod had jurisdiction1 and 
where1 for the most part1 he dwelt1 in  
the beautiful city of ,tiberias1 the    
ruins of which are still washed by the  
blue waters of the lake1 was a          

considerable distance from the ,castle  
of ,machaerus1 which1 as we have seen1  
was situated in the desolate region on  
the eastern side of the ,dead ,sea4     
,there would probably1 therefore1 have  
been a martial and noble procession from
 ,galilee1 which followed the course of 
the ,jordan to the oasis of ,jericho1   
and then branched off to the old1 grim  
fortress1 which1 like one of those      
ruined castles on the ,rhine1 had been  
for many years the scene of brigandage1 
pillage1 and bloodshed4  ,it is not     
difficult to imagine that sumptuous and 
splendid retinue4 ,roman soldiers and   
officials in all the splendour of their 
accoutrements and mounting2 carriages   
conveying the royal consort1 ,herodias1 
,salome1 and their ladies2 large numbers
 of native soldiers2 swarthy ,bedouin   
and ,greek traders2 priests and levites1
 who lived on the smile of the ,court2  
court officials1 camp-bearers1 a motley 
following of servants and slaves4  ,in  
the front of the cavalcade1 ,herod1 on a

 magnificent steed4  ,the line of march1
 enlivened by the sound of martial      
music1 and the flaunting of innumerable 
banners4 ,slowly they made their way    
through those desert solitudes1 across  
the pasture-lands1 and finally swept up 
through the little village that lay at  
the foot of the hill to the castellated 
fortress which covered the summit1      
edging its mighty walls to the brink of 
the steep cliffs4  ,soon the last       
straggler would be lost to view1 the    
heavy portcullis fall1 and the massive  
iron gate swing to1 and the first step  
would be taken towards the tragedy1     
which lay right before ,herod's path4   
,one sometimes wonders whether the whole
 of these circumstances had not been    
planned by the cunning device of        
,herodias4  ,in any case1 nothing could 
have been arranged more exactly to suit 
her murderous schemes4  ,the days that  
preceded the celebration of ,herod's    
birthday were probably filled with      
merry-making and carouse4  ,groups of   

nobles1 knights1 and ladies1 would      
gather on the terraces1 looking out over
 the ,dead ,sea1 and away to ,jerusalem1
 and in the far distance to the gleaming
 waters of the ,mediterranean4  ,picnics
 and excursions would be arranged into  
the neighbouring country4  ,archery1    
jousts1 and other sports would beguile  
the slowly-moving hours4  ,jests1 light 
laughter1 and buffoonery would fill the 
air4  ,and all the while1 in the        
dungeons beneath the castle1 lay that   
mighty preacher1 the confessor1         
forerunner1 herald1 and soon to be the  
martyr4  ,but this contrast was more    
than ever accentuated on the evening of 
,herod's birthday1 when the great       
banqueting-chamber was specially        
illuminated2 the tables decked with     
flowers and gold and silver plate2      
laughter and mirth echoing through the  
vaulted roof from the splendid company  
that lay1 after the ,eastern mode1 on   
sumptuous couches1 strewing the floor   
from one end to the other of the        

spacious hall4 ,servants1 in costly     
liveries1 passed to and fro1 bearing the
 rich dainties on massive salvers1 one  
of which was to be presently besprinkled
 with the martyr's blood4  ,in such a   
scene1 ,i would have you study the      
genesis of a great crime1 because you   
must remember that in respect to sin1   
there is very little to choose between  
the twentieth century and the first2    
between the sin of that civilization and
 of ours4  ,this is why the ,bible must 
always command the profound interest of 
mankind--because it does not concern    
itself with the outward circumstances   
and setting of the scenes and characters
 it describes1 but with those great     
common facts of temptation1 sin1 and    
redemption1 which have a meaning for us 
all4  ,this chapter is therefore written
 under more than usual solemnity1       
because one is so sure that1 in dealing 
with that scene and the passions that   
met there in a foaming vortex1 words may
 be penned that will help souls which   

are caught in the drift of the same     
black current1 and are being swept down4
  ,perhaps this page shall utter a      
warning voice to arrest them1 ere it be 
too late1 and be a life-buoy1 or rope1  
or brother's hand reached out to save   
them as they rush past on the boiling   
waters4  ,for there is help and grace in
 ,god by which a ,herod and a ,judas1 a 
,jezebel and a ,lady ,macbeth1 a royal  
criminal or an ordinary one1 may be     
arrested1 redeemed1 and saved4  ,in     
this1 as in every sin1 there were three 
forces at work3--,first1 the            
predisposition of the soul1 which the   
,bible calls lust1 and the desire of the
 mind4  ,among whom1 says the apostle1  
we also all once lived in the lusts of  
our flesh1 doing the desires of the     
flesh and of the mind1 and were by      
nature children of wrath4  ,second1 the 
suggestion of evil from without4        
,finally1 the act of the will by which  
the suggestion was accepted and finally 
adopted4  ,it is1 in this latter phase1 

that sin especially comes in4  ,there   
may be sin in being able and disposed to
 sin4  ,the possession of a sinful      
nature needs the atonement and          
propitiation of the precious blood4     
,there may be sin1 also1 in dallying    
with temptation1 in not anticipating its
 advent at a further distance4  ,but1   
after all1 that which is of the essence 
of sin is in the act of the will1 which 
allows itself to admit and entertain    
some foul suggestion1 and ultimately    
sends its executioner below to carry its
 sentence into effect4   ,i4  ,,the     
,,predetermination ,,towards ,,this     
,,sin4--,the word lust is now           
universally employed and understood in  
one direction only4  ,it is a pity and a
 mistake2 because we fail to appreciate 
many of the warning signals which the   
,spirit of ,god stations along our path4
  ,any inordinate desire for sensual and
 pleasurable excitement1 whether fixed  
on a right object1 or directed towards a
 wrong one1 comes under the denomination

 of lust4  ,strong and ill-regulated    
desire or passion1 in whatever direction
 it expresses itself1 will work our     
ruin1 and not that alone of impurity1 to
 which this old word is now specially   
confined4  ,in dealing with temptation  
and sin1 we must always take into       
account the presence in the human heart 
of that sad relic of the ,fall1 which   
biases men towards evil4  ,every one    
that has handled bowls on the green is  
familiar with the effect of the bias4   
,the bowls are not perfect spheres1 and 
are weighted on one side in such a way  
that1 as they leave the hand1 they will 
inevitably turn off from a straight     
course2 and on this account the greater 
skill is required from the hands that   
manipulate and impel them4  ,such a bias
 has come to us all3 first1 from our    
ancestor ,adam2 and1 secondly1 by that  
law of heredity which has been          
accumulating its malign and sinister    
force through all the ages4 ,god alone  
can compute the respective strength of  

these forces2 but ,he can1 and ,he will1
 as each separate soul stands before his
 judgment bar4  ,herod was the son of   
the great ,herod1 a voluptuous1         
murderous tyrant2 and1 from some source 
or other1 he had inherited a very weak  
nature4 ,perhaps1 if he had come under  
strong1 wholesome influences1 he would  
have lived a passably good life2 but it 
was his misfortune to fall under the    
influence of a beautiful fiend1 who     
became his ,lady ,macbeth1 his ,jezebel1
 and wrought the ruin of his soul4  ,it 
is a remarkable thing1 how strong an    
influence a beautiful and unscrupulous  
woman may have over a weak man4  ,and   
for this reason1 amongst others1        
weakness becomes wickedness4  ,the man  
who allows himself to drift weakly      
before the strongest influence is almost
 certain to discover that1 in this      
world1 the strongest influences are     
those which make for sin2 these touch   
him most closely1 and operate most      
continuously1 and find in his nature the

 best nidus1 or nest1 in which to breed4
  ,the influences that suggest and make 
for sin in this world are so            
persistent--at every street corner1 in  
every daily newspaper1 among every      
gathering of well-dressed people1 or    
ill--that if my readers have no other   
failing than that they are weak1 ,i am  
bound to warn them1 in ,god's name1 that
 unless they succeed in some way1       
directly or indirectly1 in linking      
themselves to the strength of the ,son  
of4  ,god1 they will inevitably become  
wicked4  ,remember that the men1 and    
especially the women1 who are filling   
our gaols as criminals1 were1 in most   
cases1 only weak1 but they therefore    
drifted before the strong1 black current
 which flows through the world1 and have
 become objects against whom all parents
 warn their children4  ,with all my     
soul--and ,i have had no small          
experience of myself and of others--,i  
implore that if you are conscious of    
your weakness1 you shall do what the    

sea-anemone and the limpet do1 which    
cling to the rock when the storms darken
 the sky4  ,be strong in the ,lord1 and 
in the power of his might4  ,herod was  
reluctant to take the course to which   
his evil genius urged him4  ,he made a  
slight show of resistance1 as we have   
seen--but he did not break with her2 and
 so she finally had her way1 and dragged
 him to her lowest level4  ,here was the
 cause of his ruin1 as it may be of     
yours4  ,you1 too1 have become allied   
with one who is possessed by a more     
imperious will1 and dominated by a      
stronger passion1 than yours4 ,you      
suppose1 however1 that you can act as a 
make-weight1 a drag on the              
chariot-wheel2 that you will be able to 
keep and steady the pace2 and that1 when
 you like1 you may arrest the onward    
progress4  ,ah1 it is not so6  ,herodias
 will have her way with you4  ,you may  
be reluctant1 will falter and hesitate1 
will remonstrate1 will resist1 but      
ultimately you will drift into doing the

 very sins1 the mention of which in your
 presence brings the red blood to your  
face4  ,beware1 then1 of yourself4  ,if 
you are so impressible to ,john the     
,baptist1 remember that you may be      
equally so to evil suggestion3 take     
heed1 therefore1 to guard against       
anything in your life that may open the 
gates of your sensitive nature to a     
temptation1 which you may not be able to
 withstand4  ,if you are weak in        
physical health1 you guard against      
draught and fatigue1 against impure     
atmosphere and contagion--how much more 
should you guard against the scenes and 
company which may act prejudicially on  
the health of your soul8  ,of all our   
hours1 none are so fraught with danger  
as those of recreation4  ,in these we   
cast ourselves1 with the majority of    
,gideon's men1 on the bank of the       
stream1 with relaxed girdles1 drinking  
at our ease1 without a thought of the   
proximity of the foe2 and1 therefore1 in
 these we are more likely to fall4  ,the

 ,christian soldier is never off duty1  
never out of the enemy's reach1 never at
 liberty to relax his watch4  ,the      
sentries must always be posted1 and the 
pickets kept well out on the veldt4  ,it
 was the most perilous thing that ,herod
 could do1 to have that banquet4  ,lying
 back on his divan1 lolling on his      
cushions1 eating his rich food1 quaffing
 the sparkling wine1 exchanging repartee
 with his obsequious followers1 it was  
as though the petals and calyx of his   
soul were all open to receive the first 
insidious spore of evil that might float
 past on the sultry air4  ,that is why  
some of us dare not enter the theatre1  
or encourage others to enter4  ,this is 
not the place to enter into a full      
discussion of the subject2 but1 even    
when a play may be deemed inoffensive   
and harmless1 the sensuous attractions  
of the place1 the glitter1 the music1   
the slightly-dressed figures of the     
actors and actresses1 the entire        
atmosphere and environment1 which appeal

 so strongly to the lust of the eye1 the
 lust of the flesh1 and the pride of    
life1 break down some of the            
fortifications1 which would otherwise   
resist the first incidence and assault  
of evil4  ,the air of the theatre1 the  
ball-room1 the race-course1 seem so     
impregnated with the nocuous germs and  
microbes of evil1 that it is perilous   
for the soul to expose itself to them1  
conscious as it is of predisposing bias 
and weakness4  ,it is this              
consciousness1 also1 which prompts the  
daily prayer1 ,lead us not into         
temptation4   ,,ii4  ,,temptation4  ,in 
the genesis of a sin we must give due   
weight to the power of the ,tempter1    
whether by his direct suggestion to the 
soul or by the instrumentality of men   
and women whom he uses for his fell     
purpose4  ,in this case ,satan's        
accomplice was the beautiful            
,herodias--beautiful as a snake1 but as 
deadly4  ,she knew the influence that   
,john the ,baptist wielded over her weak

 paramour1 that he was accustomed to    
attach unmeasured importance to his     
words1 and do many things4  ,she        
realized that his conscience was uneasy1
 and therefore the more liable to be    
affected by his words when he reasoned  
of righteousness1 temperance1 and       
judgment to come4  ,she feared for the  
consequences if the ,baptist and        
,herod's conscience should make common  
cause against her4  ,what if her power  
over the capricious tyrant were to begin
 to wane1 and the ,baptist gain more and
 more influence1 to her discredit and   
undoing8  ,she was not safe so long as  
,john the ,baptist breathed4  ,herod    
feared him1 and perhaps she feared him  
with more abject terror1 and was bent on
 delivering her life of his presence4   
,she watched her opportunity1 and it    
came on the occasion we have described4 
,the ungodly revel was at its height4   
,such a banquet as ,herod had often     
witnessed in the shameless court of     
,tiberius1 and in which luxury and      

appetite reached their climax1 was in   
mid-current4 ,the strong wines of       
,messina and ,cyprus had already done   
their work4 ,the hall resounded with    
ribald joke and merriment4  ,towards the
 end of such a feast it was the custom  
for immodest women to be introduced1    
who1 by their gestures1 imitated scenes 
in certain well-known mythologies1 and  
still further inflamed the passions of  
the banqueters4 ,but instead of the     
usual troupe1 which ,herod probably kept
 for such an occasion1 ,salome herself  
came in and danced a wild nautch-dance4 
,what shall we think of a mother who    
could expose her daughter to such a     
scene1 and suggest her taking a part in 
the half-drunken orgy8  ,to what depths 
will not mad jealousy and passion urge  
us1 apart from the restraining grace of 
,god6  ,the girl1 alas1 was as shameless
 as her mother4  ,she pleased ,herod1   
who was excited with the meeting of the 
two strong passions1 which have         
destroyed more victims than have fallen 

on all the battlefields of the world2   
and in his frenzy1 he promised to give  
her whatever she might ask1 though it   
were to cost half his kingdom4  ,she    
rushed back to her mother with the story
 of her success4  ,what shall ,i ask8   
she cried4  ,the mother had1 perhaps1   
anticipated such a moment as this1 and  
had her answer ready4  ,ask1 she replied
 instantly1 for ,john the ,baptist's    
head4  ,back from her mother she tripped
 into the banqueting-hall1 her black    
eyes flashing with cruel hate1 lighted  
from her mother's fierceness4  ,a dead  
silence fell on the buzz of             
conversation1 and every ear strained for
 her reply4  ,and she came in           
straightway with haste unto the king1   
and asked1 saying1 ,i will that thou    
forthwith give me in a charger the head 
of ,john the ,baptist4  ,mark that word1
 forthwith4  ,her mother and she were   
probably fearful that the king's mood   
would change4  ,what was to be done must
 be done at once1 or it might not be    

done at all4  ,quick1 quick1 the girl   
seemed to say1 the moments seem like    
hours2 now1 in this instant1 give me    
what ,i demand4  ,i want my banquet1    
too2 let it be served up on one of these
 golden chargers4  ,the imperious demand
 of the girl showed how keenly she had  
entered into her mother's scheme4  ,it  
is thus that suggestions come to us2    
and1 so far as ,i can understand1 we may
 expect them to come so long as we are  
in this world4 ,there seems to be a     
precise analogy between temptation and  
the microbes of disease4  ,these are    
always in the air2 but when we are in   
good health they are absolutely         
innocuous1 our nature offers no hold or 
resting place for them4  ,the grouse    
disease only makes headway when there   
has been a wet season1 and the young    
birds are too weakened by the damp to   
resist its attack4  ,the potato blight  
is always lying in wait1 till the potato
 plants are deteriorated by a long spell
 of rain and damp2 it is only then that 

it can effect its fell purpose4  ,the   
microbes of consumption and cancer are  
probably never far away from us1 but are
 powerless to hurt us1 till our system  
has become weakened by other causes4    
,so temptation would have no power over 
us1 if we were in full vigour of soul4  
,it is only when the vitality of the    
inward man is impaired1 that we are     
unable to withstand the fiery darts of  
the wicked one4  ,this shows how greatly
 we need to be filled with the life of  
the ,son of ,god4  ,in his life and     
death1 our ,lord1 in our human nature1  
met and vanquished the power of sin and 
death2 ,he bore that nature into the    
heavenly places1 whence ,he waits to    
impart it1 by the ,holy ,spirit1 to     
those who are united with ,him by a     
living faith4  ,is not this what the    
apostle ,john meant1 when he said that  
his converts--his little children--could
 overcome1 because greater was ,he that 
was in them than he that was in the     
world8  ,he who has the greatest and    

strongest nature within him must        
overcome an inferior nature2 and if you 
have the victorious nature of the living
 ,christ in you1 you must be stronger   
than the nature which ,he bruised       
beneath his feet4   ,,iii4  ,,the       
,,consent ,,of ,,the ,,will4--,the king 
was exceeding sorry4  ,the girl's       
request sobered him4  ,his face turned  
pale1 and he clutched convulsively at   
the cushion on which he reclined4  ,on  
the one hand1 his conscience revolted   
from the deed1 and he was more than     
fearful of the consequences2 on the     
other1 he said to himself1 ,i am bound  
by my oath4 ,i have sworn2 and my words 
were spoken in the audience of so many  
of my chief men1 ,i dare not go back1   
lest they lose faith in me4  ,and       
straightway the king sent forth a       
soldier of his guard and commanded to   
bring the ,baptist's head4  ,is it not  
marvellous that a man who did not       
refrain from doing deeds of incest and  
murder1 should be so scrupulous about   

violating an oath that ought never to   
have been sworn8  ,you have thought that
 you were bound to go through with your 
engagement1 because you had pledged     
yourself1 although you know that it     
would condemn you to lifelong misery and
 disobedience to the law of ,christ4    
,but stay for a moment1 and tell me6    
,what was your state of mind when you   
pledged your word8  ,were you not under 
the influence of passion8  ,did you not 
form your plan in the twilight of       
misinformation1 or beneath the spell of 
some malign and unholy influence1 that  
exerted a mesmeric power over you8      
,looking back on it1 can you not see    
that you ought never to have bound      
yourself1 and do you not feel that if   
you had your time again you would not   
bind yourself8  ,then be sure that you  
are not bound by that dead hand4 ,you   
must act in the clearer1 better light1  
which ,god has communicated4 ,even      
though you called on the sacred name of 
,god1 ,god cannot sanction that which   

you now count mistaken1 and wrong4  ,you
 had no right to pledge half the kingdom
 of your nature4  ,it is not yours to   
give1 it is ,god's4  ,and if you have   
pledged it1 through mistake1 prejudice1 
or passion1 dare to believe that you are
 absolved from your vow1 through        
repentance and faith1 and that the      
breach is better than the observance4   
,and he went and beheaded ,john in      
prison4  ,had the ,baptist heard aught  
of the unseemly revelry8  ,had any      
strain of music been waited down to him8
  ,perhaps so4  ,those old castles are  
full of strange echoes4  ,his cell was  
perfectly dark4  ,he might be lying     
bound on the bare ground1 or some poor  
bed of straw4  ,was his mind glancing   
back on those never-to-be-forgotten     
days1 when the heaven was opened above  
him1 and he saw the descending ,dove8   
,was he wondering why he was allowed to 
lie there month after month1 silenced   
and suffering8  ,ah1 he did not know how
 near he was to liberty6  ,there was a  

tread along the corridor4  ,it stopped  
outside his cell4 ,the light gleamed    
under the door2 the heavy wards of the  
lock were turned3 in a moment more he   
saw the gleam of the naked sword1 and   
guessed the soldier's errand4  ,there   
was no time to spare2 the royal message 
was urgent4  ,perhaps one last message  
was sent to his disciples2 then he bowed
 his head before the stroke2 the body   
fell helpless here1 the head there1 and 
the spirit was free1 with the freedom of
 the sons of ,god1 in a world where such
 as he stand among their peers4         
,forerunner of the ,bridegroom here1 he 
was his forerunner there also2 and the  
,bridegroom's friend passed homeward to 
await the ,bridegroom's coming1 where he
 ever hears the voice he loves4  ,and   
the soldier brought his head in a       
charger1 and gave it to the damsel2 and 
the damsel gave it to her mother4       
,there would not be so much talking     
while the tragedy was being consummated4
  ,the king and courtiers must have been

 troubled under the spell of that       
horror1 as ,belshazzar when the hand    
wrote in characters of mystery over     
against the sacred candlestick4  ,and   
when the soldier entered1 carrying in   
the charger that ghastly burden1 they   
beheld a sight which was to haunt some  
of them to their dying day4  ,often     
,herod would see it in his dreams1 and  
amid the light of setting suns4  ,it    
would haunt him1 and fill his days and  
nights with anguish that all the        
witchery of ,herodias could not dispel4 
,months afterwards1 when he heard of    
,jesus1 the conscience-stricken monarch 
said3 ,it is ,john the ,baptist1 whom ,i
 beheaded2 he is risen from the dead4   
,and still afterwards1 when ,jesus      
,himself stood before him1 and refused  
to speak one word1 he must have         
associated that silence and his deed    
together1 as having a fatal and         
necessary connection4  ,so the will1    
which had long paltered with the        
temptress1 at last took the fatal step1 

and perpetrated the crime which could   
never be undone4 ,there is always a     
space given1 during which a tempted soul
 is allowed time to withdraw from the   
meshes of the net of temptation4        
,sudden falls have always been preceded 
by long dallying with ,delilah4  ,the   
crashing of the tree to the earth has   
been prepared for by the ravages of the 
borer-worm1 which has eaten out its     
heart4  ,if you have taken the fatal    
step1 and marred your life by some sad  
and disastrous sin1 dare to believe that
 there is forgiveness for you with ,god4
  ,men may not forgive1 but ,god will4  
,as far as the east is from the west1 so
 far will ,he remove our transgressions 
from us4  ,perhaps we can never again   
take up public ,christian work2 but we  
may walk humbly and prayerfully with    
,god1 sure that we are accepted of ,him1
 and forgiven1 though we can hardly     
forgive ourselves4  ,but if we have not 
yet come to this1 let us devoutly thank 
,god1 and be on the watch against any   

influences that may drift us thither4   
,we may yet retreat4  ,we may yet       
disentangle ourselves4  ,we may yet     
receive into our natures the living     
power of the ,lord ,jesus4  ,we may yet 
cut off the right hand and right foot1  
and pluck out the right eye1 which is   
causing us to offend4  ,better this1 and
 go into life maimed1 than be cast1 as  
,herod was1 to the fire and worm of     
unquenchable remorse4     ,,xv4  ,the   
,grave of ,john1 and ,another ,grave    
7,,matthew ,,xiv4 #ab47    ,when some   
beloved voice1 that was to you   ,both  
sound and sweetness1 faileth suddenly1  
,and silence1 against which you dare not
 cry1   ,aches round you like a strong  
disease and new1--   ,what hope1 what   
help1 what music will undo   ,that      
silence to your sense8  ,not            
friendship's sigh1   ,not reason's      
subtle count4444  ,nay1 none of these6  
,speak1 ,thou availing ,christ6--and    
fill this pause4               ,e4 ,b4  
,,browning4   ,tell ,jesus--,the        

,sin-,bearer--,the ,resurrection of     
,jesus--,the ,followers of ,john1 and of
 ,jesus--,he is ,risen6   ,we have      
beheld the ghastly deed with which      
,herod's feast ended--the golden        
charger1 on which lay the               
freshly-dissevered head of the ,baptist1
 borne by ,salome to her mother1 that   
the two might gloat on it together4     
,josephus says that the body was cast   
over the castle wall1 and lay for a time
 unburied4  ,whether that were so1 we   
cannot tell2 but1 in some way1 ,john's  
disciples heard of the ghastly tragedy1 
which had closed their master's life1   
and they came to the precincts of the   
castle to gather up the body as it lay  
dishonoured on the ground1 or ventured  
into the very jaws of death to request  
that it might be given to them4  ,in    
either case1 it was a brave thing for   
them to do2 an altogether heroic        
exploit1 which may be classed in the    
same category with that of the men of   
,jabesh-,gilead1 who travelled all night

 through the country infested by the    
,philistines to rescue the bodies of    
,saul and his sons from the temple of   
,bethshan4  ,the headless body was then 
borne to a grave1 either in the grim1   
gaunt hills of ,moab1 or in that little 
village1 away on the southern slopes of 
the ,judaean hills1 where1 some thirty  
years before1 the aged pair had rejoiced
 over the growing lad4  ,god knows where
 that grave lies2 and some day it will  
yield up to honour and glory the body   
which was sown in weakness and          
corruption4  ,having performed the last 
sad rites1 the disciples went and told  
,jesus4  ,every mourner should go along 
the path they trod1 to the same gentle  
and tender ,comforter2 and if any who   
read these words have placed within the 
narrow confines of a grave the precious 
remains of those dearer than life1 let  
them follow where ,john's disciples have
 preceded them1 to the one ,heart of all
 others in the universe which is able to
 sympathize and help2 because it also   

has sorrowed unto tears at the grave of 
its beloved1 even though it throbbed    
with the fulness of the mighty ,god4    
,go1 and tell ,jesus6  ,the telling will
 bring relief4  ,though the great       
,high-,priest knows all the story1 ,he  
loves to hear it told1 because of the   
relief which the recital necessarily    
imparts to the surcharged soul4  ,he    
will tell you that your brother shall   
rise again2 that your child is safe in  
the flowery meadows of ,paradise2 that  
those whom you have loved and lost are  
engaged in high service amid the        
ministries of eternity2 that every      
time-beat is bringing nearer the moment 
of inseparable union4  ,it is not1      
however1 on these details that we desire
 to dwell1 but to use the scenes before 
us as a background and contrast to      
magnify certain features in the death1  
grave1 and abiding influence of ,jesus  
of ,nazareth4   ,i4  ,,contrast ,,the   
,,death ,,of ,,john ,,and ,,that ,,of   
,,jesus4--,there were many points of    

similarity between their careers4       
,these two rivers sprang from the same  
source1 in a quiet glen far up among the
 hills2 lay in deep lagoons during their
 earlier course2 leapt down in the same 
mighty torrent when their time had come2
 and for the first few miles watered the
 same tract of country4  ,it would be   
possible to enumerate a large number of 
identical facts of the life-courses of  
the two cousins4  ,their births were    
announced1 and their ministries         
anticipated1 under very special         
circumstances2 ,mary was unmarried1 and 
,elisabeth past age--and an angel of the
 ,lord came to each4  ,john seemed1 to  
the superficial view1 the stronger and  
mightier of the two2 but ,jesus followed
 close behind and took up a similar     
burden1 as ,he bade the people repent   
and believe the ,gospel4  ,they were    
alike in attending no prophetic school1 
and avoiding each of the great ,jewish  
sects4  ,neither ,hillel nor ,shammai   
could claim them4  ,they had no         

ecclesiastical connections2 they stood  
aloof from the ,pharisees and           
,sadducees1 the ,herodians and ,essenes4
  ,they attracted similar attention1    
gathered the same crowds1 and protested 
against the same sins4  ,rearing the    
same standard1 they summoned men from   
formality and hypocrisy to righteousness
 and reality4  ,they incurred the same  
hatred on the part of the religious     
leaders of their nation1 and suffered   
violent deaths--the one beneath the     
headsman's blade in the dungeons of     
,herod's castle1 the other on the cross1
 at the hand of ,pilate and the ,roman  
soldiers4  ,each suffered a death of    
violence at the hand of men whom he had 
lived to succour2 each died when the    
life-blood throbbed with young manhood's
 prime1 and while there was sweet       
fragrance as of early summer2 each was  
loved and mourned by a little handful of
 devoted followers4  ,but there the     
similarity ends1 and the contrast       
begins4  ,with ,john1 it was the tragic 

close of a great and epoch-making       
career4  ,when he died men said--,alas6 
a prophet's voice is silenced4  ,what a 
pity that in a moment of passion the    
tyrant took his life6  ,let him sleep6  
,rest will be sweet to one who expended 
his young strength with such spendthrift
 extravagance6  ,such men are rare6     
,ages flower thus but once1 and then    
years of barrenness6  ,but as we turn to
 the death of ,jesus1 other feelings    
than those of pity or regret master us4 
,we are neither surprised1 nor          
altogether sorry4  ,we do not recognise 
that there is in any sense an end of his
 work--rather it is the beginning4  ,the
 corn of wheat has fallen into the      
ground to die1 that it may not abide    
alone1 but bear much fruit4  ,here1 at  
the ,cross1 is the head of waters1      
rising from unknown depths1 which are to
 heal the nations2 here the sacrifice is
 being offered which is to expiate the  
sin of man1 and bring peace to myriads  
of penitents2 here the last ,adam at the

 tree undoes the deadly work wrought by 
the first at another tree4  ,this is no 
mere martyr's last agony2 but a         
sacrifice1 premeditated1 prearranged1   
the effects of which have already been  
prevalent in securing the remission of  
sins done aforetime4  ,this is an event 
for which millenniums have been         
preparing1 and to which millenniums     
shall look back4  ,john's death affected
 no destiny but his own2 the death of   
,jesus has affected the destiny of our  
race4  ,as his forerunner explained1 ,he
 was the ,lamb of ,god who bore away the
 sin of the world4  ,the ,lord hath laid
 on ,him the iniquity of us all4  ,but  
there is another contrast4  ,in the case
 of ,john1 the martyr had no control on 
his destiny2 he could not order the     
course of events2 there was no          
alternative but to submit4  ,when he    
opened his ministry1 he had no thought  
that such a fate would befall4  ,as he  
stood boldly forth upon his rock-hewn   
pulpit1 and preached to the eager       

crowds1 do you suppose that the idea    
ever flashed across his mind that his   
path1 carpeted with flowers and lined on
 either side with applause1 could end in
 the loneliness of a desert track1 lying
 across a barren waste where no man     
dwelt or came1 and where the vast       
expanse engulphs the last cry of the    
perishing8  ,but1 from the first1 ,jesus
 meant to die4  ,if1 eight centuries    
ago1 you had seen the first outlines    
drawn of the ,cologne ,cathedral1 whose 
noble structure has been brought to     
completion within only the last decades1
 you would have been convinced that the 
completed fabric would enclose a cross2 
so the life of ,jesus1 from the         
earliest1 portended ,calvary4  ,he had  
received power and commandment from the 
,father to lay down his life4  ,for this
 cause ,he was born1 and for this ,he   
came into the world4  ,others die       
because they have been born3 ,jesus was 
born that ,he might die4  ,in his great 
picture of the ,carpenter's shop1       

,millais depicts the shadow of the      
,cross1 flung back by the growing lad1  
on the wall1 strongly-defined in the    
clear oriental light4  ,mary beholds it 
with a look of horror on her face4  ,the
 thought is a true one4  ,from the      
earliest1 the ,cross cast its shadow    
over the life of the ,son of ,man4 ,he  
was never deceived as to his ultimate   
destiny4  ,he told ,nicodemus that ,he  
must be lifted up4  ,he knew that as the
 ,good ,shepherd ,he would have to give 
his life for the sheep4  ,he assured his
 disciples that ,he would be delivered  
up to the chief priests and scribes1 who
 would condemn ,him to death1 crucify1  
and slay4  ,man does not need primarily 
the teacher1 the example1 nor the       
miracle-worker2 but the ,saviour who can
 stand in his stead1 and put away his   
sin by the sacrifice of ,himself4  ,when
 the soul is burdened with the weight of
 its sins1 and the conscience is ill at 
ease1 whither can we turn save to the   
,cross1 on which the ,prince of ,glory  

died6  ,what answer and explanation can 
be given to account for the marvellous  
spell that the ,cross of ,christ exerts 
over the hearts of men8  ,you cannot    
trace it to the influence of early      
association merely1 or to the effect of 
heredity1 or to the fact of our having  
come of generations which have turned to
 the green hill far away1 in life and   
death2 because if you take the preaching
 of the ,cross to savage and heathen    
tribes1 who have no advantage of        
,christian centuries behind them1       
whenever you begin to explain its       
significance1 the sob of the soul is    
hushed1 and its dread dissipated4       
,tears of anguish are changed into tears
 of penitence4  ,the shuttles of a new  
hope begin to weave the garments of a   
new purity4  ,no other death affects us 
thus or effects so immediate a          
transformation4  ,and may not this be   
cited as the proof that the death of    
,jesus is unique2 the supreme act of    
love2 the gift of that ,father-heart    

which knew the need of the world1 and   
the only way of appeasing it8   ,,ii4   
,,contrast ,,the ,,grave ,,of ,,john    
,,and ,,that ,,of ,,jesus4--,men have   
alleged that the ,lord did not really   
rise from the dead1 and that the tale of
 his resurrection1 if it were not a     
fabrication1 was the elaboration of a   
myth4  ,but neither of these            
alternatives will bear investigation4   
,on the one hand1 it is absurd to       
suppose that the temple of truth could  
be erected on the quagmire and morass of
 falsehood--impossible to believe that  
the one system in the world of mind     
which has attracted the true to its     
allegiance1 and been the stimulus of    
truth-seeking throughout the ages1 can  
have originated in a tissue of          
deliberate falsehoods4  ,on the other   
hand1 it is a demonstrated impossibility
 that a myth could have found time to   
grow into the appearance of substantial 
fact during the short interval which    
elapsed between the death of ,christ and

 the first historical traces of the     
,church4  ,in this connection1 it is    
interesting to consider one sentence    
dropped by the sacred chronicler4  ,he  
tells us1 that when ,herod heard of the 
works of ,jesus1 he said immediately1   
,it is ,john the ,baptist--he is risen  
from the dead4  ,herod could not believe
 that that mighty personality was       
quenched1 even for this life1 by that   
one blow of the executioner's sword4    
,surely he had risen6  ,there was a     
feverish dread that he would yet be     
confronted by the murdered man1 whose   
face haunted his dreams4  ,his          
courtiers1 ready to take the monarch's  
cue1 would be equally credulous4  ,from 
one to another the surmise would        
pass--,john the ,baptist is risen from  
the dead4  ,why1 then1 did that myth not
 spread1 until it became universally    
accredited8  ,ah1 there was no chance of
 such a thing1 for the simple reason    
that there was the grave of ,john the   
,baptist to disprove it4  ,if ,herod had

 seriously believed it1 or the disciples
 of ,john attempted to spread it1       
nothing would have been easier than to  
exhume the body from its sepulture1 and 
produce the ghastly but indubitable     
refutation of the royal delusion4  ,when
 the statement began to spread and gain 
credence that ,christ had risen from the
 dead2 when ,peter and ,john stood up   
and affirmed that ,he was living at the 
right hand of ,god2 if it had been a    
mere surmise1 the fond delusion of loyal
 and faithful hearts1 an hallucination  
of two or three hysterical women--would 
it not have been easy for the enemies of
 ,christianity to go forthwith to the   
grave in the garden of ,joseph1 and     
produce the body of the ,crucified1 with
 the marks of the nails in hands and    
feet8  ,why did they not do it8  ,if it 
be said that it could not be produced1  
because it had been taken away1 let this
 further question be answered3 ,who had 
taken it away8  ,not his friends2 for   
they would have taken the cerements and 

wrappings with which ,joseph and        
,nicodemus had enswathed it4  ,not his  
enemies2 for they would have been only  
too glad to produce it4  ,what glee in  
the grim faces of ,caiaphas and ,annas1 
if at the meeting of the ,sanhedrim1    
called to deal with the new heresy1     
there could have been given some        
irrefragable proof that the body of     
,jesus was still sepulchred1 if not in  
,joseph's tomb1 yet somewhere else1 to  
which their emissaries had conveyed it6 
,it is difficult to exaggerate the      
significance and force of this contrast4
  ,and the devout soul cannot but derive
 comfort from comparing the allegation  
of the superstitious king1 which could  
have been so easily refuted by the      
production of the ,baptist's body1 with 
that of the disciples1 which was        
confirmed and attested by the condition 
of the grave which1 in spite of the     
watch and ward of the ,roman soldiers1  
had been despoiled of its prey on the   
morning of the third day4  ,herod       

expected ,john to rise1 and gave his    
royal authority to the rumour of his    
resurrection2 but it fell to the ground 
still-born4  ,the disciples did not     
expect ,jesus to rise4  ,they stoutly   
held that the women were mistaken1 when 
they brought to them the assurance that 
it was even so4 ,but as the hours       
passed1 the tidings of the empty grave  
were corroborated by the vision of the  
,risen ,lord1 and they were convinced   
that ,he who was crucified in weakness  
was living by the power of ,god4 ,there 
could1 henceforth1 be no hesitation in  
their message to the world4  ,the ,god  
of our fathers hath glorified his ,son  
,jesus1 whom ye denied in the presence  
of ,pilate1 when he was determined to   
let ,him go4444  ,but ye killed the     
,prince of ,life1 whom ,god raised from 
the dead4  ,thank ,god1 we have not     
followed cunningly-devised fables4  ,now
 is ,christ risen from the dead1 and    
become the first-fruits of them that    
slept4  ,and as by man came death1 by   

man came also the resurrection of the   
dead4   ,,iii4  ,,the ,,contrast        
,,between ,,the ,,effects ,,of ,,their  
,,two ,,deaths ,,on ,,the ,,followers   
,,of ,,john ,,the ,,baptist ,,and ,,of  
,,jesus ,,respectively4--,what a picture
 for an artist of sacred subjects is    
presented by the performance of the last
 rites to the remains of the great      
,forerunner6 ,there was probably neither
 a ,joseph nor a ,nicodemus among his   
disciples2 certainly no ,magdalene nor  
mother4  ,devout men bore him to his    
grave1 and made great lamentation over  
him4  ,he had taught them to pray1 to   
know ,god1 to prepare for the ,kingdom  
of ,god4  ,they had also fasted oft     
beneath his suggestion2 but they were   
destined to experience what fasting     
meant1 after a new fashion1 now that    
their leader was taken away from them4  
,the little band broke up at his grave4 
,farewell6 they said to him2 farewell to
 their ministry and mission2 farewell to
 one another4  ,i go back to my boats   

and fishing-nets1 said one2 and ,i to my
 farm1 said another2 and ,we shall go   
and join ,jesus of ,nazareth1 said the  
rest4 ,good-bye6 ,good-bye6  ,and so the
 little band separated1 never to meet in
 a common corporate existence again4    
,when ,jesus lay in his grave1 this     
process of disintegration began at once 
among his followers also4  ,the women   
went to embalm ,him2 the men were apart4
  ,peter and ,john broke off            
together--at least they ran together to 
the sepulchre2 but where were the rest8 
,two walked to ,emmaus apart2 whilst    
,thomas was not with them when ,jesus   
came on the evening of ,easter ,day4    
,as soon as the breath leaves the body  
disintegration begins2 and when ,jesus  
was dead1 as they supposed1 the same    
process began to show itself4  ,soon    
,peter would have been back in          
,gennesaret2 ,nathanael beneath his     
fig-tree1 ,luke in his dispensary1 and  
,matthew at his toll-booth4  ,what      
arrested that process and made it       

impossible8  ,why did the day1 which    
began with a certain amount of          
separation and decay1 end with a closer 
consolidation than ever1 so that they   
were1 for the most part1 gathered in the
 upper room2 and forty days after they  
were all with one accord in one place8  
,why was it that they who had been like 
timid deer1 before ,he died1 became as  
lions against the storm of ,pharisaic   
hate1 and stronger as the weeks passed8 
,there is only one answer to these      
questions4  ,the followers of ,jesus    
were convinced by irrefragable proofs   
that their ,master was living at the    
right hand of power2 nay1 that ,he was  
with them all the days--nearer them than
 ever before1 as much their ,head and   
,leader as at any previous moment4      
,when the shepherd is smitten1 the flock
 is scattered2 and this flock was not   
scattered1 because the ,shepherd had    
recovered from his mortal wound1 and was
 alive for evermore4  ,and surely the   
evidence which sufficed for them is     

enough for us4 ,again and again1 in dark
 hours1 when ,i have longed to have the 
demonstration of sense added to that of 
faith1 it has been an untold comfort to 
feel that sufficient evidence was given 
to the ,lord's disciples to persuade    
them against their contrary expectations
 and unbelief2 to hold them together in 
spite of every possible inducement to   
disperse1 and to transform a number of  
units into the ,church1 against which   
the gates of hell have not been able to 
prevail4  ,if they were convinced1 we   
may be4  ,if their eyes beheld and their
 hands touched the body of the risen    
,lord1 we may be of good cheer4  ,their 
behaviour proves that they were         
thoroughly convinced4  ,they acted as   
only those can act whose feet are on a  
rock4  ,they knew whom they had         
believed2 and they had no doubt that ,he
 would perfect the work which ,he had   
begun4  ,what ,he had begun in the      
flesh1 ,he would perfect in the ,spirit4
  ,in after days ,peter spoke of ,him as

 the ,prince1 or ,file-leader of ,life2 
and suggests the conception1 that       
through all the ages ,he is marching on 
through the gates of death and the      
grave1 unlocking them for us1 and       
opening the pathway into the realms of  
more and more abundant life4 ,let us    
follow ,him4  ,it is not for us to      
linger around the grave3 even ,john's   
disciples forbore to do this4  ,but let 
us join ourselves by faith with our     
,prince and ,leader1 our ,head and      
,captain1 as ,he waits to succour us    
from the excellent glory1 sure that     
where ,he is1 we too shall be2 but in   
the meanwhile we are assured that ,he is
 not in the grave1 where loving hands   
laid ,him1 but risen1 ascended1         
glorified--our ,emmanuel1 our           
,bridegroom1 our ,love and ,life4  ,the 
,lord is my ,shepherd1 ,i shall not     
want3 444  ,he leadeth me1 444  ,he     
maketh me to lie down2 444  ,he         
restoreth my soul4444  ,though ,i walk  
through the valley of the shadow of     

death1 444  ,thou art with me4          
,,xvi4  ,yet ,speaking4  7,,john ,x4    
#dj-db47    ,shine ,thou upon us1 ,lord1
     ,true ,light of men1 to-day2   ,and
 through the written ,word     ,thy very
 self display2   ,that so from hearts   
which burn     ,with gazing on ,thy     
face1   ,thy little ones may learn      
,the wonders of ,thy grace4             
,j4 ,,ellerton4   ,desert               
,solitudes--,modern ,miracles--,our own 
,age--,nothing ,common or ,unclean--,how
 to ,witness for ,jesus--,after ,many   
,days   ,beyond ,jordan6  ,to the ,jews 
that dwelt at ,jerusalem that was       
banishment indeed4  ,the tract of       
country beyond ,jordan was known as     
,perea1 and was very sparsely populated4
  ,there were some tracts of fertile    
country1 dotted by a few scattered      
villages1 but no one of repute lived    
there2 and the refinement1 religious    
advantages1 and social life of the      
metropolis1 were altogether absent4     
,perea was to ,jerusalem what the       

,highlands1 a century ago1 were to      
,edinburgh4  ,there our ,lord spent the 
last few months of his chequered career4
  ,but why8  ,why did the ,son of ,man  
banish ,himself from the city ,he loved 
so dearly8  ,surely the home at ,bethany
 would have welcomed ,him8  ,or1 failing
 this1 for any reason over which the    
sisters had no control1 ,he might have  
found a temporary home at ,nazareth1    
where ,he had been brought up2 or       
,capernaum1 in which ,he had wrought so 
many of his mighty works1 might have    
provided ,him a palace1 whose white     
marble steps would have been lapped by  
the blue waters of the lake6  ,not so6  
,the ,son of ,man had not where to lay  
his head4  ,the nation1 whose white     
flower ,he was1 had rejected ,him2 and  
the world1 for which ,he came to shed   
his blood1 knew ,him not4  ,the         
religious leaders of the age were       
pursuing ,him with relentless malice1   
and would have taken his life before the
 predestined hour had arrived1 had ,he  

not escaped from their hands1 and gone  
away beyond ,jordan into the place where
 ,john was at the first baptizing2 and  
there ,he abode3 and many came unto     
,him4  ,there was a peculiar fascination
 to the ,lord ,jesus in those solitudes1
 because of their connection with the   
,forerunner4  ,those desert solitudes   
had been black with crowds of men4      
,those hill-slopes had been covered with
 booths and tents1 in which the mighty  
congregations tabernacled1 whilst they  
waited on his words4  ,those banks had  
witnessed the baptism of thousands of   
people1 who1 in the symbolic act of     
baptism1 had put away their sins4  ,and 
the villagers1 who lived around1 could  
tell wonderful tales of the radiant     
opening of that brief but epoch-making  
ministry2 they could speak for hours    
together about the habits of the austere
 preacher1 and the marvellous power of  
his eloquence4  ,as ,jesus and his      
disciples wandered from place to place1 
,andrew would indicate the spot where he

 was baptized2 and ,john and he would   
recall together the place where they    
were standing when their great teacher  
and master pointed to ,jesus as ,he     
walked1 and said1 ,behold the ,lamb of  
,god4  ,bartholomew would find again the
 spot where ,jesus accosted him as the  
guileless ,israelite1 a salutation for  
which also he had been prepared by the  
preaching of the ,forerunner4  ,two or  
three could localize the scene where the
 deputation from the ,sanhedrim accosted
 the ,baptist with the enquiry1 ,who art
 thou8  ,it was as though1 years after  
the ,battle of ,waterloo1 some soldiers 
of the ,iron ,duke had visited the      
historic cornfields1 and had recited    
their reminiscences of the memorable    
incidents of that memorable fight4 ,here
 the long1 thin red line stood during   
the whole day4  ,there ,napoleon waited 
to see the effect of the last charge of 
his cavalry4 ,yonder1 through the wood1 
,blucher's troops hurried to reinforce  
their brothers in arms4  ,and down those

 slopes the old ,guard broke with a     
cheer1 as the ,duke gave the            
long-looked-for word4  ,it was in some  
such spirit that our ,lord and his      
apostles revisited those scenes1 where  
many of them had seen the gate of heaven
 opened for the first time4  ,probably  
our ,lord would resume his ministry of  
preaching the good tidings4  ,he could  
not be in any place where the sins and  
sorrows of men called for his gracious  
words1 without speaking them2 and to    
,him they probably brought the lame1 the
 blind1 the sick1 and paralyzed--and ,he
 healed them all4  ,many came to ,him1  
and went away blessed and helped4  ,so  
much so1 that the people could not help 
contrasting the two ministries4  ,there 
was a touch of disparagement in their   
comments on the ,baptist's ministry4    
,they said1 ,john indeed did no miracle4
  ,no lame man had leaped as an hart2   
the tongue of no dumb man had sung2 no  
widow had received her son raised to    
life from his hands2 no leper's flesh   

had come to him1 as the flesh of a      
little child4  ,it was quite true--,john
 had done no miracle4  ,but with this   
slight disparagement1 there was a       
generous tribute and acknowledgment4    
,but all things whatsoever ,john spake  
of this ,man were true4  ,he said that  
,he was the ,lamb of ,god1 pure and     
gentle1 holy1 harmless1 and undefiled2  
and it was true4  ,he said that ,he     
would use his fan1 separating the wheat 
from the chaff2 and it was true4  ,he   
said that ,he would baptize with fire2  
and it was true4  ,he said that ,he was 
the ,bridegroom of ,israel2 and it was  
true4  ,he did no miracle1 but he spoke 
strong1 true words of ,jesus1 and they  
have been abundantly verified4  ,and    
these simple-hearted people of ,perea   
did what the ,pharisees and scribes1    
with all their fancied wisdom1 had      
failed to do3 they put the words of the 
,baptist and the life of ,jesus         
together1 and reasoned that since this  
had fitted those1 as a key fits the     

lock1 therefore ,jesus was indeed the   
,son of ,god and the ,king of ,israel2  
and many believed on ,him there4   ,i4  
,,life ,,without ,,miracles4--,the      
people were inclined to disparage the   
life of ,john because there was no      
miracle in it4  ,but surely his whole   
life was a miracle2 from first to last  
it vibrated with ,divine power4 ,and did
 he work no miracle8  ,if he did not    
open the eyes of the blind1 did not     
multitudes1 beneath his words1 come to  
see themselves sinners1 and the world a 
passing show1 and the ,eternal as alone 
enduring and desirable8  ,if he did not 
lay his priestly hand on leprous flesh1 
as ,jesus did1 did not many a moral     
leper go from the waters of his baptism1
 with new resolves and purposes1 to sin 
no more8  ,if he did not raise dead     
bodies1 did not many1 who were immured  
in the graves of pride1 and lust1 and   
worldliness1 hear his voice1 and come   
forth to the life--which is life indeed8
  ,no miracles6  ,surely his life was   

one long pathway of miracle1 from the   
time of his birth of aged parents1 to   
the last moment of his protest against  
the crimes of ,herod6  ,this is still   
the mistake of men4  ,they allege that  
the age of miracles has passed4  ,if    
they admit that such prodigies may      
possibly have happened once1 they insist
 that the world has grown out of them1  
and that with its arrival at maturity   
the race has put them away as childish  
things4  ,god1 they think1 is either    
,absentee1 or the ,creature of ,laws1   
which ,he established1 and which now    
hold ,him1 as the graveclothes held     
,lazarus4  ,no miracles6  ,but last     
summer ,he made the handfuls of grain1  
which the farmers cast on the fields1   
suffice to feed all the population of   
the globe--as easily as ,he made five   
barley loaves provide a full meal for   
more than ten thousand persons4  ,no    
miracles6  ,but last autumn1 in ten     
thousand vineyards1 ,he turned the dews 
of the night and the showers of the     

morning into the wine that rejoices     
man's heart2 as once1 in ,cana1 ,he     
changed the water drawn from the stone  
jars into the blushing wine4  ,no       
miracles6  ,explain1 then1 why it is1   
that though ice is of denser specific   
gravity than water1 it does not sink to 
the bottom of rivers and ponds1 by which
 they would be speedily transformed into
 masses of ice1 but floats on the       
surface of the water1 affording a       
pathway across from bank to brae1 as    
,jesus once walked on the water from the
 shores of the ,lake of ,galilee6  ,no  
miracles6  ,it was only yesterday that  
,he cleansed a leper2 and healed a      
sin-sick soul2 and raised from his bier 
a young man dead in trespasses and sins2
 and took a maiden by the hand1 saying1 
,talitha cumi1 ,maid1 arise6  ,as ,i    
passed by1 ,i saw ,him strike a rock1   
and torrents of tears gushed out3 ,i    
beheld a tree1 with its sacred burden1  
and the serpent-poison ceased to        
inflame3 ,i saw the iron swim against   

its natural bent1 and the lion crouch as
 though it beheld an angel of ,god with 
a flaming sword4  ,again1 the seas made 
a passage for the sacramental hosts1 and
 the waters shrank away before the touch
 of the ,priestly feet1 making a passage
 through the depths4  ,no2 it is still  
the age of miracles4  ,let us not       
disparage the age in which we live4  ,to
 look back on the ,day of ,pentecost    
with a sigh1 as though there were more  
of the ,holy ,spirit on that day than   
to-day2 and as though there were a      
larger ,presence of ,god in the upper   
room than in the room in which you sit1 
is a distinct mistake and folly4  ,we   
may not have the sound as of a rushing  
mighty wind1 nor the crowns of fire2    
there is no miracle to startle and      
arrest3 but the ,holy ,spirit is with   
the ,church in all the old gracious and 
copious plenitude2 the river is sweeping
 past in undiminished fulness2 though   
there may not be the flash of the       
electric spark1 the atmosphere is as    

heavily charged as ever with the        
presence and power of the ,divine       
,paraclete4  ,the ,lord said of the     
,baptist--though he wrought no          
miracle--that there was none greater of 
those born of woman2 and perchance ,he  
is pronouncing that this age is greater 
than all preceding ages in its          
possibilities4  ,in ,his view1 it may be
 that greater deeds may be attempted and
 accomplished by the ,church of to-day  
than ever in that past age1 when she    
grappled with and vanquished the whole  
force of ,paganism4  ,if there is any   
failure1 it is with ourselves4  ,we have
 not believed in the mighty power and   
presence of ,god1 because we have missed
 the outward and visible sign of his    
working4  ,we have thought that ,he was 
not here1 because ,he has not been in   
the fire1 the earthquake1 or the mighty 
wind which rends the mountains4  ,we    
have become so accustomed to associate  
the startling and spectacular with the  
,divine1 that we fail to discover ,god1 

when the heaven is begemmed with stars1 
and the earth carpeted with flowers3 as 
though the lightning were more to us    
than starlight1 and the destructive than
 the peaceful and patient constructive  
forces1 which are ever at work building 
up and repairing the fabric of the      
universe4  ,do not look back on the     
,incarnation1 or forward to the ,second 
,advent1 as though there were more of   
,god in either one or the other than is 
within our reach4  ,god is2 ,god is     
here2 ,god is indivisible3 all of ,god  
is present at any given point of time or
 place4  ,he may choose to manifest     
,himself in outward signs1 which impress
 the imagination more at one time than  
another2 the faith of the ,church maybe 
quicker to apprehend and receive in one 
century than the next3 but all time is  
great--every age is equally his         
workmanship1 and equally full of his    
wonder-working power4  ,alas for us1    
that our eyes are holden6  ,let us not  
disparage the ordinary and commonplace4 

,we are all taught to run after the     
startling and extraordinary--the        
statesman who accomplishes the coup     
d'tat2 the painter who covers a large   
canvas with a view to scenic effects2   
the preacher who indulges in superficial
 and showy rhetoric1 the musician whose 
execution is brilliant and astonishing4 
,we like miracles6  ,whatever appeals to
 our love for the sensational and       
unexpected is likely enough to displace 
our appreciation of the simple and      
ordinary4  ,when the sun is eclipsed1 we
 all look heavenward2 but the golden    
summer days may be filled with sunlight1
 which is dismissed with a commonplace  
remark about the weather4  ,a whole city
 will turn out to see the illuminations1
 whilst the stars hardly attract a      
passing notice4  ,let there be a show of
 curiously-shaped orchids1 and society  
is stirred2 but who will travel far to  
see a woodland glade blue with wild     
hyacinths1 or a meadow-lawn besprent    
with daisies4  ,thus our tastes are     

vitiated and blinded4  ,it is good to   
cultivate simple tastes4  ,the pure and 
childlike heart will find unspeakable   
enjoyment in all that ,god has made1    
though it be as familiar as a lawn      
sparkling with dewdrops1 a hay-field    
scented by clover-blooms1 a streamlet   
murmuring over the pebbles1 or the drawl
 of the shingle after a retreating wave4
  ,it is a symptom of a weak and        
unstable nature to be always in search  
for some new thing1 for some greater    
sensation1 for some more startling sign4
  ,show us a sign from heaven1 is the   
incessant cry of the ,pharisee and      
,scribe3 and when the appetite has been 
once created1 it can never be appeased1 
but is always set on some novelty more  
marvellous and startling than anything  
which has preceded4  ,be content with a 
holy ministry which does not dazzle by  
its fireworks1 but sheds a steady       
sunshine on the sacred page4 ,cultivate 
familiarity with the grand1 solid works 
of our ,english literature4  ,avoid the 

use of extravagant adjectives4  ,take an
 interest in the games of children2 in  
the common round and daily task of      
servants and employs2 in the toils and  
tears of working-girls2 in the          
struggling lot of the charwoman who     
scrubs your floors1 and the lad who     
cleans your boots4  ,do not be always   
gaping at the window for bands to come  
down the street2 but be on the pavement 
before your house with a helping-hand   
and kindly word for the ordinary folk   
that labour and are heavy-laden4  ,it is
 remarkable that in all these there are 
tragedies and comedies2 the raw material
 for novels and romances2 the characters
 which fill the pages of a ,shakespeare 
or ,george ,eliot4  ,all life is so     
interesting2 but we need eyes to see1   
and hearts to understand4  ,there has   
been no age greater than this2 there is 
no part of the world more full of ,god  
than yours2 there is no reason why you  
should not see ,madonnas in the ordinary
 women1 and ,last ,suppers in the       

ordinary meals1 and ,holy ,families in  
the ordinary groups around you--if only 
you have the anointed eyes of a         
,raffaelle or a ,leonardo de ,vinci4    
,if the world seems common or unclean to
 you1 the fault lies in your eyes that  
have made it so4  ,let us not disparage 
ourselves4  ,we know our limitations2 we
 are not capable of working             
miracles--our best friends are well     
acquainted with this1 for no eyes are   
quicker than ,love's4  ,we are sparrows1
 not larks2 clay1 not alabaster2 deal1  
not mahogany4  ,but if we cannot work   
miracles1 we can speak true1 strong     
words about ,jesus ,christ2 we can bear 
witness to ,him as the ,lamb of ,god2 we
 can urge men to repent and believe the 
,gospel4  ,the world would have been in 
a sorry plight if it had depended       
entirely on its geniuses and            
miracle-workers4  ,probably it owes less
 to them than to the untold myriads of  
simple1 humble1 obscure1 and commonplace
 people1 whose names will never be      

recorded in its roll-call1 but whose    
lives have laid the foundations on which
 the superstructure of good order1 and  
government1 and prosperity1 has been    
reared4  ,remember that ,god made you   
what you are1 and placed you4  ,dare to 
be yourself--a simple1 humble1 sincere  
follower of ,jesus4  ,do not seek to    
imitate this or the other great speaker 
or leader4  ,be content to find out what
 ,god made you for1 and be that at its  
best4  ,you will be a bad copy1 but a   
unique original2 for the ,almighty      
always breaks the pattern from which ,he
 has made one vase4  ,above all1 speak  
out the truth1 as ,god has revealed it  
to you1 distorting1 exaggerating1       
omitting nothing2 and long after you    
have passed away1 those who remember you
 will gather at your grave and say1 he  
did no miracle--there was nothing       
sensational or phenomenal in his        
life-work2 but he spake true things     
about ,jesus ,christ1 which we have     
tested for ourselves1 and are           

undeniable4  ,indeed1 they led us to    
believe in ,him for ourselves4   ,,ii4  
,,the ,,ways ,,in ,,which ,,we ,,may    
,,bear ,,testimony ,,to ,,the ,,lord    
,,jesus4--,there is no miracle in your  
life1 my reader4  ,you are no genius2   
you do not know what it is to have the  
rush of thought1 the power of brilliant 
speech1 the burst of song4  ,you have no
 wealth1 only just enough for your bare 
sustenance1 and nothing to spare4  ,you 
have no rich blood in your veins1 come  
of a line of heroes or saints4  ,as you 
look daily into the common routine of   
your lot1 it seems ordinary enough4  ,be
 it so2 there is at least one thing you 
can do1 as we have seen--like the       
,baptist1 you may witness for ,jesus4   
,speak to others privately4  ,when only 
two disciples were standing beside him1 
,john preached the same sermon as he had
 delivered to the crowd the day before1 
and both of them went to the frail      
lodging where ,jesus was making his     
abode4  ,there is nothing that more     

deeply searches a man than the habit of 
speaking to individuals about the love  
of ,god4 ,we cannot do it unless we are 
in living union with ,himself4  ,nothing
 so tests the soul4  ,it is easy to     
preach a sermon1 when the inner life is 
out of fellowship with ,god1 because you
 can preach your ideals1 or avenge on   
others the sins of which you are        
inwardly conscious2 but to speak to     
another about ,christ involves that     
there should be an absolutely clear sky 
between the speaker and the ,lord of    
whom he speaks4  ,but as this practice  
is the most difficult1 it is the most   
blessed in its reflex influence4  ,to   
lead another to ,jesus is to get nearer 
,him4  ,to chafe the limbs of some      
frozen companion is to send the warm    
blood rushing through your own veins4   
,to go after one lost sheep is to share 
the shepherd's joy4  ,whether by letters
 addressed to relatives or companions1  
or by personal and direct appeal1 let   
each one of us adopt the sacred         

practice1 which ,mr4 ,moody followed and
 commended1 of allowing no day to pass  
without seeking to use some opportunity 
given by ,god for definite1 personal    
dealings with others4  ,the apostle     
,andrew seems to have specially         
consecrated his life to this4  ,on each 
of the occasions he is referred to in   
the ,gospels he is dealing with         
individuals4  ,he brought his own       
brother2 was the first to seek after a  
boy to bring to the ,saviour's presence2
 and at the close of our ,lord's        
ministry he brings the seeking ,greeks4 
,did he not learn this blessed art from 
his master1 the ,baptist8  ,it is       
requisite that there should be the      
deliberate resolution to pursue this    
holy habit2 definite prayer for guidance
 as one issues from the morning hour of 
prayer2 abiding fellowship with the ,son
 of ,god1 that ,he may give the right   
word at the right moment2 and a         
willingness to open the conversation by 
some manifestation of the humble1 loving

 disposition begotten by the ,holy      
,spirit1 which is infinitely attractive 
and beautiful to the most casual        
passer-by4  ,speak experimentally4  ,i  
saw and bare record4  ,john spoke of    
what he had seen1 and tasted1 and       
handled4  ,be content to say1 ,i was    
lost1 but ,jesus found me1 blind1 and   
,he gave me sight2 unclean1 and ,he     
cleansed my heart4 ,nothing goes so far 
to convince another as to hear the      
accent of conviction on the lips of one 
whose eyes survey the landscape of truth
 to which he allures1 and whose ears are
 open to the eternal harmonies which he 
describes4  ,speak from a full heart4   
,the lover cannot but speak about his   
love2 the painter can do no other than  
transfer to canvas the conceptions that 
entrance his soul2 the musician is      
constrained to give utterance to the    
chords that pass in mighty procession   
through his brain4  ,we cannot but speak
 the things that we have seen and heard4
  ,does it seem difficult to have always

 a full heart8  ,verily1 it is          
difficult1 and impossible1 unless the   
secret has been acquired of abiding     
always in the love of ,god1 of keeping  
the entire nature open to the ,holy     
,spirit1 and of nourishing the inward   
strength by daily meditation on the     
truth4  ,we must close our senses to the
 sounds and sights around us1 that our  
soul may open to the unseen and eternal4
  ,we must have deep and personal       
fellowship with the ,father and the ,son
 by the ,holy ,ghost4  ,we must live at 
first-hand on the great essentials of   
our faith4  ,then1 as the vine-sap      
arises from the root1 its throb and     
pulse will be irresistible in our       
behaviour and testimony4  ,we shall     
speak true things about ,jesus ,christ4 
,our theme will be evermore the         
inexhaustible one of ,christ--,christ1  
only ,christ--not primarily the doctrine
 about ,him1 or the benefits accruing   
from fellowship with ,him1 but ,himself4
  ,thus1 some day1 at your burying1 as  

men turn homewards from the new-made    
grave1 and speak those final words of   
the departed1 which contain the most    
unerring verdict and summing-up of the  
life1 they will say1 ,he will be greatly
 missed4  ,he was no genius1 not        
eloquent nor profound2 but he used to   
speak about ,christ in such a way that  
he led me to know ,him for myself3 ,i   
owe everything to him4  ,he did no      
miracle2 but whatever he said of ,jesus 
was true4   ,,iii4  ,,the ,,power ,,of  
,,posthumous ,,influence4--,john had    
been dead for many months1 but the      
stream he had set flowing continued to  
flow2 the harvests he sowed sprang into 
mature and abundant fruitage2 the       
wavelets of tremulous motion which he   
had started circled out and on4  ,how   
many voices are speaking still in our   
lives--voices from the grave6 voices    
from dying beds6 voices from books and  
sermons6 voices from heaven6  ,being    
dead1 they yet speak4  ,let us live so  
that1 when we are gone1 our influence   

shall tell1 and the accents of our voice
 linger4  ,no one lives or dies to      
himself4  ,each grain on the ocean-shore
 affects the position of every other4   
,each star is needed for the perfect    
balance of the spheres4  ,each of us is 
affecting the lives of all that are now 
existing with us in the world1 or will  
exist4 ,to untold ages1 what we have    
been and said will affect all other     
beings for good or ill4  ,we may be     
forgiven for having missed our          
opportunities1 or started streams of    
poison instead of life2 but the ill     
effect can never be undone4  ,parents1  
put your hands on those young childish  
heads1 and say pure1 sweet words of     
,christ1 which will return to memory and
 heart long after you have gone to your 
reward6  ,ministers of religion1 and    
,sunday school teachers1 remember your  
tremendous responsibility to use to the 
uttermost the opportunity of saying     
words which will never die6 ,friend1 be 
true and faithful with your friend2 he  

may turn away in apparent               
thoughtlessness or contempt1 but no     
right word spoken for ,christ can ever  
really die4  ,it will live in the long  
after years1 and bear fruit1 as the     
seeds hidden in the old ,egyptian       
mummy-cases are bearing fruit to-day in 
,english soil4     ,,xvii4  ,the ,spirit
 and ,power of ,elias4  7,,luke ,i4     
#ag47    ,oh1 may ,i join the choir     
invisible   ,of those immortal dead who 
live again   ,in minds made better by   
their presence3 live   ,in pulses       
stirred to generosity2   ,in deeds of   
daring rectitude2 in scorn   ,for       
miserable aims that end with self2   ,in
 thoughts sublime that pierce the night 
like stars1   ,and with their mild      
persistence urge man's search   ,to     
vaster issues4   ,the ,old ,covenant and
 the ,new--,elijah and the ,baptist--,a 
,parallel--,the ,servant inferior to the
 ,lord--,the ,baptism of the ,holy      
,ghost--,the ,indwelling ,spirit        
,great men are ,god's greatest gifts to 

our race2 and it is only by their       
interposition that mankind is able to   
step up to higher and better levels of  
life4  ,the doctrine of evolution is    
supposed to explain the history of the  
universe4  ,men would have us believe   
that certain forces have been set in    
motion which have elaborated this great 
scheme of which we are a part1 and the  
evolutionist would go so far as to say  
that man himself has been evolved from  
protoplasm1 and that the brains of a    
,socrates1 of a ,milton1 or of any      
genius who has left his mark upon the   
world1 have simply emanated from the    
whole process which culminates in them4 
,we believe1 on the contrary1 that at   
distinct points in the history of the   
universe1 there has been a direct       
interposition of the will and hand of   
,god2 and it is remarkable that in the  
first chapter of ,genesis that august   
and majestic word create  is three times
 introduced1 as though the creation of  
matter1 the creation of the animal      

world1 and the creation of man1 were    
three distinct stages1 at which the     
direct interposition of the will and    
workmanship of the ,eternal was         
specially manifest4  ,similarly1 we     
believe that there have been great      
epochs in human history1 which cannot be
 accounted for by the previous evolution
 of moral and religious thought1 and    
which must be due to the fact that ,god 
,himself stepped in1 and by the direct  
raising up of a man1 who became the     
apostle of the new era1 lifted the race 
to new levels of thought and action4    
,it is in this light that we view the   
two illustrious men who were1 each in   
his own measure1 the apostles of new    
epochs in human history--,elijah in the 
old ,covenant1 and ,john the ,baptist in
 the new4  ,it is remarkable that the   
prophet ,malachi tells us that the      
advent of the ,messiah should be        
preceded and heralded by ,elijah the    
prophet2 and that ,gabriel1 four hundred
 years after1 said that ,john the       

,baptist1 whose birth he announced1     
would come in the spirit and power of   
,elijah4 ,this double prediction was    
referred to by our ,lord when1          
descending from the ,mount of           
,transfiguration1 in conversation with  
the apostles1 ,he indicated ,john the   
,baptist as the ,elijah who was to come4
  ,and1 indeed1 there was a marvellous  
similarity between these two men1 though
 each of them is dwarfed into           
insignificance by the unique and        
original personality of the ,son of     
,man1 who towers in inaccessible glory  
above them4   ,i4  ,,let ,,us           
,,institute ,a ,,comparison ,,between   
,,elijah ,,the ,,tishbite1 ,,and ,,john 
,,the ,,baptist4--,they resembled each  
other in dress4  ,we are told that      
,elijah was a hairy man--an expression  
which is quite as likely to refer to the
 rough garb in which he was habited1 as 
to the unshorn locks that fell upon his 
shoulders4  ,and ,john the ,baptist wore
 a coarse dress of camel's hair4  ,each 

of them sojourned in ,gilead4  ,in the  
remarkable sentence1 which1 for the     
first time1 introduces ,elijah to the   
,bible and the world1 we are told that  
he was one of the sojourners in ,gilead1
 that great tract of country1 thinly    
populated1 and largely given over to    
shepherds and their flocks1 which lay   
upon the eastern side of the ,jordan4   
,and we know that it was there amid the 
shaggy forests1 and closely-set         
mountains1 with their rapid torrents1   
that ,john the ,baptist waited1         
fulfilled his ministry1 preached to and 
baptized the teeming crowds4  ,each of  
them learnt to make the body subservient
 to the spirit4  ,elijah was able to    
live on the sparse food brought by      
ravens1 or provided from the meal barrel
 of the widow1 was able to outstrip the 
horses of ,ahab's chariot in their mad  
rush across the valley of ,jezreel2 and 
after a brief respite1 given to sleep   
and food1 went in the strength of it for
 forty days and nights1 through the     

heart of the desert until he came to    
,horeb1 the ,mount of ,god4  ,his body  
was but the vehicle of the fiery spirit 
that dwelt within2 he never studied its 
gratification and pleasure1 but always  
handled it as the weapon to be wielded  
by his soul4  ,and what was true in his 
case1 was so of ,john the ,baptist1     
whose food was locusts and wild honey4  
,the two remind us of ,st4 ,bernard1 who
 tells us that he never ate for the     
gratification of taking food1 but only  
that he might the better serve ,god and 
man4  ,we remember also that each of    
these heroic spirits was confronted by a
 hostile court4  ,in the case of        
,elijah1 ,ahab and ,jezebel1 together   
with the priests of ,baal and ,astarte1 
withstood every step of his career2 and 
in the case of ,john the ,baptist1      
,herod1 ,herodias1 and the whole drift  
of religious opinion1 with its repeated 
deputations to ask who he might be1     
dogged his steps1 and ultimately brought
 him to a martyr's end4  ,how           

distinctly1 also1 in each case there was
 the consciousness of the presence of   
,god4  ,one of the greatest words which 
man has ever uttered was that in which  
,elijah affirmed1 in the presence of    
king ,ahab1 that he was conscious of    
standing at the same moment in the      
presence of the ,eternal3 ,and ,elijah  
the ,tishbite1 who was of the sojourners
 of ,gilead1 said unto ,ahab1 ',as the  
,lord1 the ,god of ,israel1 liveth1     
before whom ,i stand'--a phrase         
afterwards used by ,gabriel himself when
 he told ,zacharias that he was one of  
the presence angels4  ,and the angel    
answering1 said unto him1 ',i am        
,gabriel1 that stand in the presence of 
,god4'  ,this consciousness of the      
,divine presence in his life revealed   
itself in his great humility1 when he   
cast himself on the ground with his face
 between his knees2 and in the          
unflinching courage which enabled him to
 stand like a rock on ,mount ,carmel1   
when king1 and priest1 and people1 were 

gathered in their vast multitudes around
 him1 sufficient to daunt the spirit    
that had not beheld a greater than any4 
,this ,god-consciousness was especially 
manifest in the ,baptist1 who referred  
so frequently to the nearness of the    
kingdom of ,god4  ,the kingdom of       
heaven1 he said1 is at hand4  ,and when 
,jesus came1 unrecognised by the crowds1
 his high spirit prostrated itself1 and 
his very visage was shadowed with the   
vail of intense modesty and humility1 as
 he cried2 ,in the midst of you standeth
 ,one whom ye know not1 the latchet of  
whose shoes ,i am not worthy to stoop   
down and unloose4 ,coupled with this    
sense of ,god1 there was1 in each case1 
a marvellous fearlessness of man4  ,when
 ,obadiah met ,elijah1 and was          
astonished to hear that the prophet was 
about to show himself to ,ahab1 ,elijah 
overbore his attempts to dissuade him1  
saying3 ,i will certainly show myself to
 thy master3 go1 tell him ,elijah is    
here4  ,and when afterwards the heavenly

 fire had descended1 and the prophets of
 ,baal were standing bewildered by their
 altar1 he did not flinch from arresting
 the whole crowd of them1 leading them  
down to the valley of the ,kishon brook 
beneath and there slaying them1 so that 
the waters ran crimson to the sea4      
,this fearlessness was also conspicuous 
in the ,forerunner1 who dared to beard  
the king in his palace1 asserting that  
he must be judged by the same standard  
as the meanest of his subjects1 and that
 it was not lawful for him to have his  
brother's wife4  ,to each there came    
moments of depression4  ,in the case of 
,elijah1 the glory of his victory on the
 brow of ,carmel was succeeded by the   
weight of dark soul-anguish4  ,did he   
not cast himself1 within twenty-four    
hours1 beneath the juniper tree of the  
desert1 and pray that he might die1     
because he was no better than his       
fathers--a mood which ,god1 who pities  
his children and remembers that they are
 dust1 combated1 not by expostulation1  

but by sending him food and sleep1      
knowing that it was the result of       
physical and nervous overstrain8  ,and  
did not ,john the ,baptist from his     
prison cell send the enquiry to ,jesus1 
as to whether1 after all1 his hopes had 
been too glad1 his anticipations too    
great1 and that perhaps after all ,he   
was not the ,messiah for whom the nation
 was waiting8  ,both ,elijah and ,john  
the ,baptist had the same faith in the  
baptism of fire4  ,we never can forget  
the scene on ,carmel when ,elijah       
proposed the test that the ,god who     
answered by fire should be recognised as
 ,god2 nor how he erected the altar1 and
 laid the wood1 and placed the bullock  
there1 and drenched the altar with      
water2 and how1 in answer to his faith1 
at last the fire fell4  ,john the       
,baptist passed through no such ordeal  
as that2 but it was his steadfast faith 
that ,christ should come to baptize with
 the ,holy ,ghost and fire4  ,each of   
them turned the hearts of the people    

back4  ,it was as though the whole      
nation were rushing towards the edge of 
the precipice which overhung the        
bottomless pit1 like a herd of          
frightened horses on the prairie1 and   
these men with their unaided hands      
turned them back4  ,it would be         
impossible for one man to turn back a   
whole army in mad flight--he would      
necessarily be swept away in their rush2
 but this is precisely what the         
expression attributes to the exertions  
of ,elijah and ,john4  ,the one turned  
,israel back to cry1 ,jehovah1 ,he is   
,god2 the other turned the whole land   
back to repentance and righteousness1 so
 that publicans and soldiers1 ,sadducees
 and ,pharisees1 began to confess their 
sin1 put away their evil courses1 and   
return to the ,god of their fathers4    
,each prophet was succeeded by a gentler
 ministry4  ,elijah was sent from ,horeb
 to anoint ,elisha1 who1 for the most   
part1 passed through the land like      
genial sunshine--a perpetual benediction

 to men1 women1 and children2 while     
,john the ,baptist opened the door for  
the ,shepherd1 ,christ1 who went about  
doing good1 and whose holy1 tender      
ministry fell on his times like rain on 
the mown grass4  ,from the solitudes    
beyond the ,jordan1 as he walked with   
,elisha1 talking as they went1 the      
chariot and horses of fire which the    
,father had sent for his illustrious    
servant from heaven bore him homeward1  
while his friends and disciples stood   
with outstretched hands1 crying3 ,the   
chariot and horses of ,israel are       
leaving us1 bearing away our most       
treasured leader4  ,in those same       
solitudes1 or within view of them1 the  
spirit of ,john the ,baptist swept up in
 a similar chariot4  ,as the headsman1  
with a flash of his sword1 put an end to
 his mortal career1 though no mortal    
eyes beheld them1 and no chronicler has 
told the story1 there must have been    
horses and chariots of fire waiting to  
convey the noble martyr-spirit to its   

,god4  ,the parallel is an interesting  
one--it shows how ,god repeats ,himself2
 and1 if time and space permitted1 we   
might elaborate the repetition of a     
similar conception1 either in           
,savonarola of ,florence1 or in ,martin 
,luther1 or in ,john ,knox1 who had been
 baptized into the same ,spirit1 and    
inspired to perform the same ministry4  
,that ,spirit is waiting still--waiting 
to clothe ,himself with our life2       
waiting to do in us1 and through us1    
similar work for the time in which we   
live4  ,what these men did far back in  
the centuries1 it is probable that      
others ,will have to do before this     
dispensation passes utterly away4  ,a   
man1 or men1 shall again rise up1 who   
will tower over their fellows1 who will 
speak and act in the spirit and power of
 ,elijah--men like ,edward ,irving1 but 
without the mistakes that characterized 
his heroic life4  ,perhaps some young   
life may be inspired by this page to    
yield itself to ,god1 so that it may be 

sent forth to turn back the hearts and  
lives of vast multitudes from their evil
 way1 turning the heart of the fathers  
to their children1 and the heart of the 
children to their fathers1 to make ready
 a people prepared for the ,lord4       
,,ii4  ,,notice ,,the ,,inferiority ,,of
 ,,these ,,great ,,men ,,to ,,the       
,,lord4--,neither ,elisha1 the disciple 
of ,elijah1 nor the eloquent ,apollos1  
the disciple of ,john the ,baptist1     
would have dared to say of their        
respective masters what ,philip and     
,andrew1 ,peter and ,thomas1 habitually 
said of ,christ4  ,greatly as they      
revered and loved their masters1 they   
knew that they were men like themselves2
 that their nature was made in the same 
mould1 though1 perhaps1 of finer clay2  
that there were limitations beyond which
 they could not go1 and qualities of    
mind and soul in which they were not    
perfected4  ,they dared not say of them1
 ,my ,lord and my ,god4  ,they never    
thought of prostrating themselves at    

their feet in worship2 they never       
appealed to them after their decease as 
able to hear and answer prayer from the 
heaven into which they had passed4      
,neither ,elijah nor ,john had what     
,jesus asserted--the consciousness of an
 unique union with ,god2 neither of them
 dared to affirm1 as ,jesus did1 that he
 was the ,son of ,god1 in the sense that
 made other use of that term blasphemy2 
neither of them thought of anticipating 
a moment when he should be seen sitting 
at the right hand of power1 and coming  
in the clouds2 neither of them dared to 
couple himself with ,deity in the       
sublime and significant pronoun we--,we 
will come and make our abode with ,him4 
,neither of them would have dreamed of  
accepting the homage which ,jesus took  
quite naturally1 when men worshipped    
,him1 and women washed and kissed his   
feet3 and ,i ask how it could be that   
,jesus ,christ1 so essentially meek and 
lowly1 so humble and unwilling to       
obtrude ,himself1 should have spoken and

 acted so differently1 unless his nature
 had been separated by an impassable    
gulf from that of other men1 however    
saintly and gifted8  ,the very fact that
 these men1 acknowledged amongst the    
greatest of our race1 drew a line1 and  
said3 ,beyond that we cannot pass2 we   
are conscious of defilement and need2 we
 require forgiveness and grace1 equally 
with those to whom we minister4 ,and    
this compels on our part the            
acknowledgment that ,jesus ,christ was  
all ,he claimed to be1 and that ,he is  
worthy to receive glory1 and honour1 and
 riches1 and power1 and blessing2 for   
,he is ,man of men1 the second ,man1 the
 ,lord from ,heaven4  ,neither of these 
dared to offer himself as the ,comforter
 and ,saviour of men4  ,elijah could    
only rebuke sin1 which he did most      
strenuously2 but he had no panacea for  
the sin and sorrow of his countrymen4   
,he could bid them turn to ,god2 and he 
did4  ,but he could say nothing of any  
inherent virtue1 or power1 which could  

proceed from him to save and help4  ,it 
was never suggested for a moment that he
 could act as mediator between ,god and 
men1 though he might be an intercessor4 
,and as for ,john the ,baptist1 though  
he deeply stirred the religious         
convictions of his countrymen1 he could 
only point to ,one who came after him1  
and say3 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god1     
which taketh away the sin of the world4 
,but within six months after the        
commencement of his ministry1 ,jesus    
says2 ,son1 thy sins are forgiven thee2 
,the ,son of ,man hath authority on     
earth to forgive sins2 ,daughter1 thy   
sins1 which are many1 are forgiven thee3
 go in peace2 and presently3 ,this is   
the cup of the ,new ,covenant in my     
blood1 shed for many1 for the remission 
of sins1 and again3 ,the ,son of ,man   
came to give his life a ransom for many4
  ,tell me of any1 either in the story  
of ,elijah or of ,john the ,baptist1 to 
compare with these words1 spoken by the 
lowest and humblest being that ever trod

 time's sands8  ,does that not indicate 
that ,he stood in a relationship to ,god
 and man which has never been realized  
by another8  ,besides1 neither of them  
introduced a new type of living4  ,their
 own method of life seemed to indicate  
that there was sin in the body1 or sin  
in matter2 and that the only way of     
holiness was by an austerity that lived 
apart in the deserts1 dreading and      
avoiding the presence of men4  ,that was
 a type of holiness which every great   
religious teacher has followed2 for you 
remember that ,buddha used to say that  
all the present is an illusion and a    
dream1 while the realities await us     
beyond4  ,on the other hand1 ,jesus     
taught that the ,redeemer was also the  
,creator2 that there was nothing common 
or unclean in man's original            
constitution2 that sin consisted not in 
certain actions1 functions1 or          
duties--but in man's heart1 and will1   
and choice2 and that if a man were only 
right there1 all his nature and         

circumstances would become illumined and
 transfigured by the indwelling ,spirit4
  ,let it never be forgotten that       
,christ taught that ,god is not going to
 cancel the nature which ,he ,himself   
has bestowed in all its human and       
innocent out-goings1 but only to        
eliminate the self-principle which has  
cursed it--as you would wish to take    
small-pox from the body of the little   
child1 or the taint out of the rotting  
flesh of the leper4  ,o ,christ1 ,thou  
standest pre-eminent in thy unparalleled
 glory6  ,let ,elijah and ,john the     
,baptist withdraw1 but oh1 do ,thou     
tarry6  ,to whom shall we go8  ,thou    
hast the words of eternal life4  ,all   
the prophets and kings of men without   
,thee will not suffice2 but to have     
,thee is to have all that is strong1 and
 wise1 and good1 gathered up into the   
perfect beauty of a man1 with the       
,divine glory of the ,infinite ,god4    
,,iii4  ,,how ,,may ,,we ,,have ,,that  
,,same ,,spirit8--,john the ,baptist    

came in the spirit and power of ,elijah3
 that spirit and power are for us too4  
,just as the dawn touches the highest   
peaks of the ,alps1 and afterwards1 as  
the morning hours creep on1 the tide of 
light passes down into the valley1 so   
the ,spirit that smote that glorious    
pinnacle ,elijah1 and that nearer       
pinnacle the ,baptist1 is waiting to    
descend upon and empower us4  ,we are   
all believers in ,jesus1 but did we     
receive the ,holy ,ghost when we        
believed8 7,acts xix4 #b74  ,when the   
great apostle of the ,gentiles met the  
little handful of ,john's disciples1    
gathered in the great idolatrous city of
 ,ephesus1 the first word he addressed  
to them was the eager enquiry1 ,did ye  
receive the ,holy ,ghost when ye        
believed8  ,and they replied1 ,nay1 we  
did not so much as hear whether the     
,holy ,ghost was given4  ,in other      
words3 ,we heard from our master1 ,john1
 that ,jesus1 of whom he spake1 would   
baptize with the ,holy ,ghost and with  

fire2 but we have never heard of the    
fulfilment of his prediction--we only   
know of ,him1 concerning whom our great 
leader so often spake1 as the great     
,teacher1 ,miracle-worker1 and          
,sacrifice for the sins of the          
people--but what more there is to tell  
and know we wait to hear from thee4     
,then ,paul explained that ,john's      
baptism had stood only for confession   
and repentance3 ,john baptized with the 
baptism of repentance1 saying unto the  
people that they should believe on ,him1
 which should come after him1 that is1  
on ,jesus4  ,those who descended the    
shelving banks of ,jordan to be plunged 
beneath its arrowy waters1 declared     
their discontent with the past1 their   
desire to be free of it1 and their      
belief in the ,messianic character of   
,jesus of ,nazareth1 who was to         
introduce a new and better age4  ,but   
the apostle hastened to explain that    
this ,jesus1 whom the ,jews had         
delivered up and slain by wicked hands1 

was the ,prince of ,life2 that ,god had 
raised ,him from the dead2 and that     
being by the right hand of ,god exalted1
 and having received of the ,father the 
promise of the ,holy ,ghost1 ,he had    
poured ,him forth in mighty power on the
 waiting ,church1 anointing it for its  
ministry to mankind4  ,it was as though 
he had said3 ,our ,lord1 on his         
,ascension1 baptized those that had     
believed with the ,spirit of which ,joel
 spake4  ,the water of ,john's baptism  
symbolised a negation1 but this baptism 
is positive2 it is as cleansing1        
purifying flame2 it was good to know    
,jesus after the flesh1 it is a thousand
 times better to know ,him after the    
,spirit3 and this gift is to us and to  
our children1 and to all that are far   
off1 even as many as the ,lord our ,god 
shall call4  ,when they heard this they 
were baptized into the name of the ,lord
 ,jesus4  ,they exalted ,him to the     
throne of their hearts as the glorified 
and ever-blessed ,son of ,god4  ,they   

directed their longing eyes towards ,him
 in his risen glory1 that ,he should do 
for them as ,he had already done for so 
many4  ,and in answer to their expectant
 faith1 the blessing of ,abraham came   
upon them--they received the promise of 
the ,spirit by faith2 the ,holy ,ghost  
came upon them1 and they were equipped  
for witness-bearing in ,ephesus by the  
very power which had rested once on     
,elijah1 and also on their first teacher
 and guide2 and1 as the result1 a       
revival broke out in that city of such  
magnitude that the magic books were     
burned1 and the trade of the            
silversmiths grievously injured4  ,this 
power of the ,holy ,spirit is for us    
all4  ,of course we could not believe in
 ,jesus in the remission of sin1 or the 
quickening of our spiritual life1 apart 
from the work of the ,holy ,spirit2 but 
there is something more than this1 there
 is a power1 an anointing1 a gracious   
endowment of fitness for service--which 
are the privilege of every believer4    

,the ,holy ,spirit is prepared1 not only
 to be within us for the renewal and    
sanctification of character1 but to     
anoint us as ,he did the ,lord at his   
baptism4  ,he waits to empower us to    
witness for ,jesus1 to endure the       
persecution and trial which are         
inevitable to the exercise of a         
,god-given ministry1 and to bring other 
men to ,god4  ,it would be well to tarry
 to receive it4  ,it is better to wait  
for hours for an express train than to  
start to walk the distance2 the hours   
spent in waiting will be more than      
compensated for by the rapidity with    
which the traveller will be borne to his
 destination4  ,stay from your work for 
a little1 and wait upon the ascended1   
glorified ,redeemer1 in whom the ,spirit
 of ,god dwells4  ,ask ,him to impart to
 you that which ,he received on your    
behalf4  ,never rest until you are sure 
that the ,spirit dwells in you fully1   
and exercises through you the plenitude 
of his gracious power4  ,we cannot seek 

,him at the hand of ,christ in vain4    
,dare to believe this3 dare to believe  
that if your heart is pure1 and your    
motives holy1 and your whole desire     
fervent--and if you have dared to       
breathe in a deep1 long breath of the   
,holy ,spirit--that according to your   
faith so it has been done to you2 and   
that you may go forth enjoying the same 
power which rested on the ,baptist1     
though you may not be conscious of any  
,divine afflatus1 though there may have 
been no stroke of conscious power1 no   
crown of flame1 no rushing as of the    
mighty wind4  ,god is still able to     
vouchsafe to us as large a portion of   
his ,spirit as to the disciples on the  
day of ,pentecost4  ,we are not         
straitened in ,him1 but in ourselves4   
,the power of his grace is not passed   
away with the primitive times1 as fond  
and faithless men imagine2 but his      
,kingdom is now at hand1 and ,christ1   
standing on the threshold of the        
century1 waits to lead his ,church to   

greater triumphs than she has ever      
known4 ,oh that ,he would hasten to come
 forth from his royal chambers6  ,oh    
that ,he would take his throne as       
,prince of the kings of the earth6  ,oh 
that ,he would put on the robe of his   
majesty1 and assume the sceptre of his  
unlimited and almighty reign4  ,creation
 travails2 the ,spirit and the ,bride   
invoke2 the mind of man has tried all   
possible combinations of sovereignty1   
and in vain4  ,o ,lord ,jesus ,christ1  
who at thy first coming didst send thy  
messenger to prepare the way before     
,thee2 grant that the ministers and     
stewards of thy mysteries may likewise  
so prepare and make ready thy way1 by   
turning the hearts of the disobedient to
 the wisdom of the just2 that1 at thy   
second coming to judge the world1 we may
 be found an acceptable people in thy   
sight1 who livest and reignest with the 
,father and the ,holy ,spirit1 ever one 
,god1 world without end4  ,amen4